


Good Enough

by Ninjam117



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Escapism, M/M, Pining, Slow Burn, There’s one brain cell in this story and it’s yugi, and by slow burn i mean by me updating oopsies, anime continuity, fragileshipping, magical mishaps, season fourish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:27:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 25,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24266620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ninjam117/pseuds/Ninjam117
Summary: Ryou gets left behind
Relationships: Bakura Ryou/Yami Yuugi
Comments: 22
Kudos: 33
Collections: Fake Outs & Mishaps





	1. Chapter 1

As soon as he unlocked the door and threw it shut, Ryou was rushing to his desk. He nearly tripped over his own shoes in excitement as he scrolled his computer mouse, the desktop humming to life.

It had been almost two weeks since Battle City had taken place and Domino had gone back to its mostly peaceful ways. Yugi and the others seemed to be on the moody side with all that was going on with the pharaoh, though they had also be reluctant to say much about that.

Ryou figured they were still weary with what happened with the millennium ring. Except… He lost it during the tournament.

The teen scratched at the back of his hand, thinking just for a moment as he sat there waiting for the computer to load. A beep stirred him from his thoughts.

He dismissed the thoughts, instead focusing on the login. It was break after all, which meant he could get lost in RPing for the next few weeks.

While the game he had started to get a little too invested in was just in the beta tests, he actually found it rather challenging. It was a rather sloppy reskin of Monster World, but had at least the same spirit to it considering how it was an indie game. And with how dedicated the beta testers were, it was a lot more fun than one would expect from an extremely polygonal game.

He pulled up his chat log, already seeing the five that he was grouped with planning out their next task.

_EosEnd: Which way to the hidden gate? It should be at the tavern right?_

_Thunderr000d: Why would it be at the tavern? That’s too obvious._

_EosEnd: Or maybe that’s what the coders want you to think._

_Gameking94: Are we going or not? I’ve got to go eat soon._

_Exinious: We’re waiting right now._

Ryou couldn’t help but quirk his lips. He typed away.

_WizardTwink: Waiting for me?_

_Exinious:I knew you would come._

_Thunderr000d: About time we’ve been waiting 5ever!!1!_

Ryou snorted under his breath. He swore that at least two of his team were in middle school. He figured that their leader who wasn’t there was probably one of the main coders in college as well. At least that's what he guessed. He knew for a fact that there were at least two of them in high school. Him and whoever 'Exinious' was.

_WizardTwink: The tavern would be obvious. Its probably there as a reference to Baldur's Gate_

_Exinious: Did you finish that already?_

_WizardTwink: I've had it since it came out. I've beaten it a few times. Coders are porbabl getting their inspiration form it._

_EosEnd: Stop being nerds and hurry up._

Ryou watched as the little group glitched off screen in an attempt to walk. His character followed as he sorted through his inventory. He immediately saw something sent to him. He saw the not-so-subtle hint with what it was. He switched to private chat.

_WizardTwink: Flowers for our fifth date?_

_Exinious: I wouldn't call any of this a real date. It's all pretend._

Ryou paused, his hands hovering over the keys. For some reason that comment made him feel. Cold. His shoulders sank slightly. He saw the other's avatar pause. Ryou waited, watching for something. Eventually he figured it was just another glitch and moved along after the group.

Pretend...

That's really what all of this was. 

He focused on the main chat, which was on shuffling items between them all. He volunteered his things right away. He never did like going in fully stocked. Wasn't much of a challenge otherwise. Plus, if he KO'd fast enough he could use that as an excuse to leave.

As they wandered around for the entrance, he tried not to notice how 'Exinious' glitched around his own character. It was something the two of them discovered. Sometimes the clipping would break the geometry and let them get under the world to see things. It must've been patched since the weekend for it to not be working.

About twenty minutes later, they all had effectively given up, realizing they hadn't triggered the initial event (definitely playing with middle schoolers). Knowing it would take another half hour to retrace their steps back to the lake that had the NPC they were supposed to talk to, Ryou decided he'd call it quits for the evening. He set his avatar to a neutral state in case they others wanted to PM him on continuing. It wasn't like they'd get far without him after all.

Wandering out to the kitchen to make a quick fry with some left over rice, Ryou couldn't help but pause more than once. He glanced out the window of the apartment. In the distance KaibaCorp loomed, the city's bay also glistening with evening light. 

A lump formed in his throat, a chill going up his arms. He clutching his chest a little, the silence of the apartment humming faintly.

He quickly ate, his thoughts wandering to Yugi and the others. They mentioned something about going to the museum at some point during break. Most likely to help the pharaoh.

He paused, looking down at the half eaten bowl of food.

Should he have said something to them? Asked to go? His toes curled around each other. Then again. It's not like any of them asked for him to come along for Battle City, even if he ended up getting roped into that anyway. 

So why did it still hurt in how little they spoke about it. He rubbed his left arm, the fresh scab still there.

He dumped the remains in the trash before setting the bowl on the counter and wandering back to his room. He sat at the desk, still seeing the screen up. On the side sat the most recent letter from his father. It's unopened side staring back at him.

The message bubble suddenly popped up on his screen.

_Exinious: Want to meet up tomorrow?_

Ryou frowned.

_WizardTwink: maybe some other time._

_Exinious: No. Well. I mean._

There was an extra pause. Ryou raised a brow.

_Exinious: Want to meet up tomorrow in Domino?_

Ryou blinked. They couldn't be serious. Although out of their little group, he did talk more to 'Exinious', especially in private. At first it was a joke, but it sort of continued on its own.

_WizardTwink: How do you know I'm in Domino?_

_Exinious: It's a little server. Duh._

_WizardTwink: How do you know I don't have a job._

_Exinious: You're on here twice as much as me._

Ryou's shoulders sank as he sighed. Why were they being persistent?

_Exinious: Do you have a girlfriend or something?_

Ryou snorted at that.

_WizardTwink: Do you think I would have a girlfriend?_

_Exinious: No. That's why I'm asking oyu on a date._

Ryou's lip quirked. He felt his cheeks get heated slightly, even if this was all just mindless flirting. He looked away, suddenly catching that letter again. His hands clenched a little. 

_WizardTwink: k_

_Exinious: ?_

_WizardTwink: Let's do it._

Ryou stopped when he almost typed in the museum. He deleted it.

_WizardTwink: Let's go to the Domino park towards the west. By the shizuoka train_ _station_

_Exinious: Is that far for you?_

_WizardTwink: Nope. Is it for you?_

It actually was. But in case this turned out to be some sort of prank, he would've preferred to be somewhere not familiar to be easier to forget. Plus he knew better than to just show up to some stranger near where he lived.

_Exinious: A little. But I'll make it. Noon?_

_WizardTwink: Sure see you then!_

Ryou quickly turned off his screen in case the other backed out. His palms had gotten sweaty all of a sudden.

~*~*~*~

The ride on the train wasn't too bad. The crowds were rather small that morning because of the maintenance. Ryou kept glancing at his phone and the outside.

Even though he was early, the thought of meeting someone in person like this made him nervous. Too nervous to sleep. Especially since he had been very forward in the private chat. His cheek flushed at the thought of his comments a week earlier. Maybe this was a bad idea-

_"SHIZUOKA STOP"_

He jerked up from his seat automatically. A few people had already gone to the doors. His hand tightened around his bag strap. 

The doors slid open. He briskly walked out as quickly as he could without panicking more. His heart was racing as soon as the train took off for its next destination. He swallowed hard.

As he walked through the station entrance and down some steps, he tried to shake his nerves. He shouldn't have even been nervous. It was just a small meet up after all. Who cared if he said some embarrassing things online. He had been through a literal hell a while back with Battle City! At least this wouldn't end with him getting stabbed or sent to some shadowy realm or-

"Bakura?"

He froze.Turning with that horrid gut feeling, his eyes landed on familiar amethyst eyes behind golden bangs. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pal helped name things. And Shaky. Another chapter this week so not a long cliff hanger.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yayoi. this is for the rairpair thing and im still in a fragileshipping kick so thts what it is. It's anime continuity around the in between of season three/four and a little into four. If anyone's read my doujin youll probably know where this is going.
> 
> Also I wrote that quick prologue because it felt needed for the actual first chapter and because i needed to post something but also hadn't read through any of this either so...
> 
> And also also ill add characters as they come in.
> 
> Enjoy!

The train ride was rather bumpy.

Yugi never took the train, usually walking everywhere, so for the two it was a bit of an adventure.

 _"Are you sure you don't want any help?"_ Yugi had asked that morning.

Despite the question, the pharaoh insisted that he could handle going to this location for his own personal reasons. He knew that Yugi wouldn't pry about it, probably thinking it was some mystical destiny stuff.

And honestly the last thing he wanted to explain was meeting up with someone he had been flirting with for the past month or so. 

He blushed at that thought while the train car rocked on the rails. It started off out of curiosity, especially since Yugi insisted that he try to do things to get his mind off of Battle City and what would happen with his memories. And playing a small game that had nothing to do with any of that was exactly what he needed. He just wasn't expecting to get drawn into it so much. But that could've also been how much fun he had in this made up world with whoever 'WizardTwink' was.

Probably another high schooler from some distant area of Domino by the look of it. Which was even better. Yugi could barely walk to school now without someone recognizing them from Battle City. It was going to be nice to meet with someone who had limited knowledge on who he was.

Hence why today, the pharaoh had taken the liberty to dress a little more incognito.

Surprisingly it was hard to find something inconspicuous in Yugi's wardrobe. Eventually the pharaoh settled on a simple black and gray hoodie in the back of the closet with writing running up the sleeves, a pair of jeans, and a cap to try and tuck in as much of Yugi's hair down (purple since that's what he agreed to be his signal for 'WizardTwink' to see). Looking in the mirror that morning he definitely looked different enough for people to need a second glance. And he felt. Comfy.

The only obvious sign was the Puzzle still dangling around his neck. 

The train started to go to a halt, stirring him from his thoughts. He had to hold himself steady as to not poke the person in front of him with the Puzzle, which had been tucked into Yugi's hoodie. He glanced up to see where they were heading, but as soon as the train came to a stop, everyone in his car deposited out, dragging him along.

He was dumped onto the platform and before he could swim along the flock of people back inside, the train had taken off. 

The pharaoh scratched his neck. Oh geez.

He glanced around, trying to find a sign of some sort that would direct him to the next train that would pass through. It was almost noon after all! If he missed this chance to meet the other, there probably wouldn't be another. He'd have to be quick to try and find 'WizardTwink' wearing the T-shirt with a blue scapegoat on-

A flash of white passed by his vision. He stopped immediately.

He recognized that white hair anywhere. His body tensed up. Automatically, his hand cradled the Puzzle through the fabric against his chest.

No. It wasn't possible. The Ring was sitting in Yugi's room at this moment. When the other turned, the pharaoh realized that his hunch was actually half right. 

The teen some distance away started to head out of the station. The pharaoh stumbled after him, suddenly curious as to why Bakura was even out here. He didn't mention anything at school according to Yugi. 

And even if he wanted to ask Yugi, the pharaoh had told the other to stay in his soul room until they were back at the house.

As he followed along, the pharaoh couldn't help but notice the teen had dressed a bit differently. Not anything extreme, but it looked like he wore a nicer shirt and coat. Even his hair seemed to be slightly softer than usual. 

As soon as Bakura stopped to look down, the pharaoh took the chance to catch up.

"Bakura?

The other tensed up before slowly turning. There was evident panic on his face, which made the pharaoh blink for a moment. He glanced down and realized that maybe his appearance was throwing the teen off.

"Ah. It's me," the pharaoh said, tugging at Yugi's bangs. Bakura blinked, nervous smile now on his lips as he quickly zipped up his jacket.

"Oh. Y-Yugi," he stuttered out, a flush on his nose, "Erm. What are you doing out here?"

"I could ask you the same," the pharaoh said, then quickly looked around when he noticed his tone, "I-I mean uh. Not that you're doing anything suspicious or anything I'm sure! Just uh. This is a little far from central Domino?"

Bakura fidgeted, cell phone in hand. He glanced down at it before answering.

"Well. I'm here to meet someone is all," he said, "Nothing big or anything. I should probably head over-"

"Oh wait!" the pharaoh said, hurrying to the other's side, "I'm actually a little lost. Maybe you can help?"

Bakura glanced away as if to avoid eye contact. The blush on his face never disappeared as his lips fumbled. 

"Well. I-Well. I'm already late and-"

"Please? You just have to tell me which station is Shizuoka so I can hop back on the train."

At the mention of the station Bakura tensed up even more. He took a few steps back.

"Err... Was it-Uh..."

Bakura paused more than once, as if debating something internally. The pharaoh narrowed his eyes slightly. Why was Bakura so nervous? Did it have something to do with the spirit of the Ring? 

The pharaoh blinked, inwardly thinking 'ah!' That had to be it. After all, the Ring had mysteriously come back after duelist kingdom and the spirit had worked with Malik during Battle city. With how unpredictable it was, there was no wonder that Bakura was so nervous!

"Bakura," the pharaoh said, "Do. Would you like to sit down somewhere?"

"Ah. That's not necessary!" Bakura said quickly, "Uh. I gotta go sorry-"

"Wait!"

As soon as Bakura had turned to run off, the pharaoh grabbed a hold of his hand. He wouldn't have normally been so forward, but if there were mystical hijinks about he wanted to know.

"Yugi-please. I-I just need to do something really quick I-"

"Then I'll come with you."

Bakura fidgeted more, but stopped trying to tug his hand free. Instead he just looked away. The pharaoh loosened his grasp.

"Sorry," he said, scratching the back of his neck, "Look I-It's just. With everything that happened with Battle City-"

He paused, trying to think of what to say. In the silence he heard the wind is blowing lightly along through the trees.

"Listen. I just," the pharaoh sighed, "I wasn't there to... Too many people got hurt because of me. I don't want to stand by and watch as my friends get hurt when I could've done something."

Bakura turned back, though his gaze stayed on the ground. Eventually he looked up with a rather bitter smile.

"Yugi. I'm just here to meet someone. It's not like I have the Ring anymore," he said, rubbing at his arm, "Besides. No one would find any worth in talking to me. Not now."

Bakura started to walk away. The pharaoh watched, brows furrowing. He bit his lip, hand half up as if to reach out. His shoulders sank.

"..."

His hand rubbed against the sweater where the Puzzle poked out. He could hear the next train starting to approach.

"... Bakura! Wait!"

He stayed where he was, watching as the teen stopped. The pharaoh looked away when he turned around.

"I know you don't want me to come along. But. Please," he said, "Even if it was just for a few minutes. Can I. Come along?"

Bakura frowned, staring at him for a moment. His eyes flicked up towards Yugi's bangs briefly before chuckling.

"I suppose I can't change your mind."

The pharaoh grinned, stepping forward so that he was walking alongside the teen. He glanced back at the station briefly, thinking about how he was going to miss meeting with 'WizardTwink'.

He shook his head lightly at that thought. He knew that it would be ok to miss this one meeting. Especially if it meant keeping his friends safe.

The two walked some blocks away from the station. Yami couldn't help but notice how nervous Bakura was as they came to sit at one of the benches that was situated in front of a fountain. His cheeks seemed to glow red at every glance at the pharaoh. Maybe he was hot under-

A clock tower somewhere in the park started to chime. Pigeons started to fly up in the air. 

The two sat there in silence. The pharaoh shuffled his feet awkwardly.

"So. Um," he said clearing his throat, "Who are you meeting today?"

"Oh. No one special," Bakura sighed, "It's just part of a hobby of mine."

"Are they from school?"

"No. It's part of a game."

"Oh? You play games?"

"Duh. It wasn't exactly the spirit of the Ring you were playing against," Bakura said, letting out a snort, "He wasn't real big on duel monsters even before battle city y'know."

The pharaoh blinked, "Wait. Does that mean that-"

"You were playing against my deck? Yep. Both times."

"Oh. O-of course," the pharaoh said, scratching his cheek, "I just didn't expect-"

"You weren't expecting me of all people to play right?"

"What? No. That's not what I meant! I just," he stuttered, then rubbed at his face. Why was it so hard talking right now? Was he flustered from thinking about his other meeting? Maybe he ought to get Yugi. He talked to Bakura at school more, even if it didn't seem like it-

Bakura laughed, driving away the tension the pharaoh had.

"It's ok," he said, "I know I don't really compare to Jou or Yugi, but sometimes it's fun to play with no stakes involved. We could even play right now."

"Ah. I didn't bring any cards," the pharaoh said sheepishly. Bakura raised a brow.

"Really? That's surprising."

The pharaoh chuckled under his breath, "Even I get tired of card games."

"Maybe you ought to play other games," Bakura said, leaning back against the bench.

The pharaoh thought briefly about the game that he had been playing for the past few weeks, immediately blushing over the last mission he completed with his team. Even though it was ranked low, and the other members were excited over the small bits of gold they got, he was thinking more about the flirting that he and 'WizardTwink' had been doing the entire time of fighting the raid boss. He shook his head quickly to chase away the thought.

The pair sat there a little while longer, the clouds drifting lazily along over head. The pharaoh stared at the pigeons that had gathered at the other end where a kid dropped a large amount of popcorn. Ryou glanced down at his phone for the fifteenth time, letting out a sigh. The pharaoh leaned over to check as well. Past noon that was for sure. He definitely missed his meeting.

"Well. I guess I ought to get going," Bakura said, brushing himself off, "I don't think who I'm meeting is going to show up."

"Why? Think I scared them off?" the pharaoh asked. Bakura scoffed, patting Yugi's cap.

"Yeah. Real Mr. Intimidating over here."

The pharaoh frowned, knowing that it was a pout with Yugi's cherub cheeks, "You don't know what I've done!"

"You'd probably be intimidating with your duel monsters. But you left those at home."

They both laughed as the pharaoh stood up. Bakura glanced over to the fountain.

"That's right," he said, "You're supposed to get your memories back soon right?"

The pharaoh paused, thinking for a minute, "Yeah. But. I'm not in a hurry. It just doesn't feel like the right moment, if that makes sense?"

Ryou nodded, then started to walk back towards the station. The pharaoh naturally followed along, then stopped for a moment. Why was he going with Bakura? He probably should find out which station was Shizuoka. But then again-

"Hey. Uh. Bakura!" he shouted. Bakura turned, brow raised.

"You want to go back to central Domino together?" the pharaoh asked. Bakura shrugged lightly.

"Sure. I don't see why not."

The pharaoh smiled, for some reason getting a warm feeling in his gut. He followed along to Bakura's side again. This time, he couldn't help but notice that the other stayed half a step behind.

~*~*~*~

The train ride back seemed even more peaceful than that morning. Maybe it was because of the very few people on at this time. The afternoon light was soft against the glass. 

The two sat next to each other, though there was a seat between the two. Ryou looked over more than once, noticing how intensely the pharaoh was staring out the window. His hands were now openly cradling the Puzzle between them. 

Ryou smiled bitterly, tugging his jacket zipper down a bit to get air, seeing the soft smile of the scapegoat looking back up to him. 

He sighed heavily.

"Just my luck."

~*~*~*~

"So how was your day?"

The pharaoh floated close by as Yugi prepared for bed. The teen quickly spat out some foam from the toothpaste before continuing.

"I bet it was a date with Anzu again right?" he said, between brushes, "I knew you had chemistry last time!"

"No it wasn't with Anzu," the pharaoh said, "She's nice. But."

Yugi paused his brushing, foam on his lips as his brow raised. The pharaoh glanced away. He liked Anzu in the same way he liked all of Yugi's-his friends. And he also knew that Yugi had more romantic feelings towards the girl as well. 

He wandered out towards the bedroom, looking up towards the skylight. He glanced back at Yugi, who was now dapping his face with soap.

The pharaoh slid into the chair at the desk. Even though he couldn't physically do so, it felt more natural than floating around. 

A few minutes later, Yugi appeared, drying his face on a small towel before tossing it over the back of the chair and slipping into bed.

"Goodnight Other Me," he said.

"Goodnight Partner."

The pharaoh continued to look out the window. The moon started to make its way across the sky. He always found himself outside of the Puzzle during these quiet moments. Even if he had no one to speak to, it was better than being inside that dark confusing abyss. 

He let out a sigh, dropping his gaze. It landed on the computer at the desk.

The pharaoh fidgeted his fingers together, glancing quickly over to Yugi. He probably shouldn't use Yugi's body to game more than needed. Last time he did for a week straight, Yugi was falling asleep in the middle of class. 

He tapped his thumbs together. Although, he did happen to bail on meeting wth 'WizardTwink' that day. He might as well try and apologize.

The pharaoh quickly slipped into Yugi's body and powered up the computer. If he made it quick, it would probably be ok. Right?

After pulling up the screens, he found that two of his party members were still up, including their group leader. 

_Thunderr000d: Can we please make raid parties smaller than five people? Eos died ten times and used up all of our items._

_Kaibastansanic: You know were still getting the kinks out. We'll just make a patch if its requested enough. Or keep it limited to levels more strictly. Oh hey Ex. You here for the midnight raid?_

_Exinious: No. Just checking in real quick. Has anyone else shown up?_

_Thunderr000d: GK was here earlier. And WT said they'd be here soonish._

The pharaoh sighed. Maybe the other wouldn't be here in case they were both on at the same time. 'WizardTwink' probably thought they were stood up. At the very least if they did come on, the pharaoh could talk directly about it. Even if he didn't know what to say. Would it be useful to try and reschedule? Should he say he got caught up in something urgent?

In reality, the pharaoh really did want to meet up, especially with how much they had talked. He pulled up their previous private chat logs. His eyes landed on one of the more recent ones. He blushed, reading through the two's sudden role play of smut while battling the raid boss. He quickly scrolled away, trying not to think of how he was unintentionally making Yugi's body react at it all.

Even with all that, there was strangely something enjoyable about being able to throw away all inhibitions and just be forward about what he wanted without any repercussions. Even now, he was trying to be mindful of his partner's body more than his own wants. Although, it was just getting a _little_ satisfaction from beating a dumb cheap game-

Another avatar popped up on the screen. The pharaoh tensed up immediately.

_Thunderr000d: Oh we can start lets goooo0oo_

_WizardTwink: Sorry I had to finish up some chores_

There was a pause. The pharaoh had the urge to say something, but he was also intimidated. Maybe he could tag along with their mission for just a little while...

About ten minutes later they had gone through a swamp with a hidden graveyard. As they all searched the area for the entrance to the mausoleum level, the pharaoh finally decided to take the chance to try and say something.

His hands hovered over the keys. How was he supposed to start this? He was the one who had to go out of his way to meet today anyway. Maybe he could use navigating the train for the first time as an excuse-

Suddenly, something started to rise out from the marshes. They all ran over, watching as the stone doorway appeared. Immediately they all knew that it was the entrance to the mausoleum. Before any of them could move to go inside, the boss music started.

Automatically, the pharaoh started to cast defensive spells all around them. The smaller enemies started to appear to try and chip away their health, but luckily their team leader was able to be their main defense. Because of that, the pharaoh was lulled into a sense of calm just as the larger enemy appeared, some sort of large ghoul. He hadn't bothered to cast his own defenses, more focused on the others because he was staying back, and got the most damage with the large attack. It started sapping away at his energy immediately with a toxic effect.

_Kaibastansanic: someone heal Ex while I finish setting the barrier between us and the small fry._

'WizardTwink' was immediately at the pharaoh side. Thanks to the game's design, healing spells worked better when closer to party members. Because of that, it only left the other two to take care of the enemies. Unfortunately the raid boss took that chance to go into a second stage, something they had only seen in the dragon knight they faced last week. It immediately one hit KO'd Thunderr000d.

_Thunderr000d: thanks gays im ded. someone heal me._

_Exinious: im out of mana i need another item_

_Thunderr000d: heal me heal me_

_Kaibastansanic: give me a sec chldren im busy doing everything_

_Thunderr000d: HEAL ME HOS_

The pharaoh sighed, then pulled up another screen. He went along through a separate log in and pulled up the code for the page they were all on. The values were changing constantly, but never to a real extreme because of the basic nature of the game. He shuffled through until he saw their characters listed there. He changed the values for magic on 'WizardTwink'.

About ten seconds later, 'WizardTwink' started to hurry around the field, casting light spells to ensure that the raid boss would be stunned before hurrying over to 'Thunderr000d' who was still screaming in the chat. As soon as they were revived, their team leader delivered a single hit to the boss.

The fanfair went off with a little confetti animation. Their levels went up except their leader. The gate unlocked itself with a click, despite there not being a key or door.

The others started to chat about proceeding from here, but the pharaoh had to pause. He shook away his nerves.

_Exinious: Thanks for the save. And sorry._

_WizardTwink: You're not playing at your regular pace._

_Exinious: It's because of today. Sorry._

_WizardTwink:?_

_Exinious: I didn't meet you. I got distracted and didn't notice the time._

He paused and added "I got lost."

 _WizardTwink_ : _It's ok. I figured. I had an errand to run as well._

The pharaoh sighed a little. At least the other wouldn't take it personally. The last thing he wanted to do was chase away the one helping him escape the pressures of his destiny. He hesitated, and took a steady breath before continuing.

_Exinious: Would you want to try and meet up again? Maybe in a few days?_

He watched the bubble pop up, and waited for a response. Maybe it was too early to try and meet up for real. 

To his shock. The bubble popped up with a more forward answer than expected.

_WizardTwink: Sure. Let's meet up tomorrow actually. Same place?_

He nearly typed a yes, but stopped himself.

_Exinious: There's a cafe near where I live. Want to get lunch there?_

As soon as the other said yes, the pharaoh pumped his arms in the air in victory. He quickly sent over the address before adding in one last apology. In his excitement, he ended up staying up for another hour to help with the mausoleum level.


	3. Chapter 3

Ryou drew back his hair in a low ponytail, glancing in the mirror as the midmorning light strewn through the window. He actually tried this time to _not_ look like he was going on some sort of date, if only because yesterday hadn't gone as expected. He let out a sigh. No. He wasn’t going to think about it. Today would be different.

He tried hard not to linger on how 'Exinious' was potentially Yugi or the pharaoh (or both). Especially considering he had washed his shirt and was now looking back at the same little blue scapegoat once again in the mirror. Something that made more sense to be suggested to wear if it was one of the two.

As he made his way out of the apartment and down the street, Ryou continued to reassure himself that yesterday was just a fluke. Even if the excuses that his gaming buddy gave were eerily similar to the pharaoh's actions, today would prove otherwise!

He would finally meet and have this little get together and _not_ have to think about any sort of Egyptian artifacts or mystical destinies. Just two online friends meeting up over lunch and hopefully getting closer.

Ryou shook his head, lightly slapping his cheeks before marching forward at a brisk pace. Yes. Yesterday was just a weird coincidence. Sure it was inconceivable for the pharaoh to show up in a purple cap at the same place that he was meeting 'Exinious.' But even the pharaoh seemed confused on where he was. 

And there was no way someone that airheaded could have coded directly into the game the way that 'Exinious' had. Yugi and the pharaoh were smart, but only in duel monsters. Besides, if it were the pharaoh or Yugi, they would've suggested BurgerWorld and not a small cafe on the quiet side of Domino. 

Even if it was somewhat close to the game shop. Nope! Just another coincidence of course!

A few minutes later Ryou was standing at the cafe entrance. It looked like a popular spot for couples with how many were sitting outside. Ryou blushed immediately at that. He shook his head quickly, hurrying inside before he got cold feet.

Inside was hardly occupied. He slowly looked around, seeing quite a few booths empty. Ryou looked at his phone. Still a few minutes early. 

"Hello! Welcome to Paru Pearl," the cashier greeted, "Can I interest you in today's specialty drink: mixed grapefruit juice and berries with cream and panda pearls?"

Ryou's lip twitched at the overwhelming menu. Must've been one of those themed places. He dug out his wallet. 

"I think I'll just have a honey green tea," he said.

"It comes at a discount with one food item. Including everything in the display case. Made fresh this morning!" The cashier said, gesturing to the desserts that were decorated with little duel monsters.

Ryou scratched his ankle with his foot before looking around. Should he wait for the other to show up first? There were definitely little desserts there that looked enticing. Even the little sandwiches with the printed kuriboh packaging was cute-

"You meeting your girlfriend mister?" the cashier asked, leaning over the counter a little with that knowing smirk. Ryou blushed horribly. 

"N-No! Just a friend," Ryou said, quickly digging in his wallet and handing a few notes over, "Just the tea please!"

"Sure thing," the cashier said, typing away on the screen before handing over the change, "I'll bring it over when it's ready."

Ryou nodded before heading over to the middle most booth next to the front window. He faced the door, already anxious to make sure that his hunch was right and that yesterday was just a weird coincidental meeting with the pharaoh. 

He watched the people go by, trying to find someone with a white, short-sleeved hoodie and blue jeans. If that wasn't a clearer sign that it most likely _wasn't_ the pharaoh or Yugi, than nothing was. Neither Yugi nor the pharaoh wouldn’t wear something so plainly, even if they had yesterday-

Ryou shook his head again. He had to stop thinking about that! After all, ‘Exinious’ could easily be anyone else at Domino High.

“Just have to not think about it,” he mumbled.

The tea came surprisingly fast, and he noticed tapioca pearls in it. Ryou sipped lightly at it, finding the taste of the green tea and sweet honey surprisingly satisfying. The desserts at the counter started to look even more enticing now.

To distract himself, Ryou started to fold one of the small square napkins at the table a few times. He made a few little origami figures, always undoing it when he heard the cafe bell ring. He resisted the urge to look at his phone, knowing full well that it had been at least ten minutes past the meeting time now.

Despite trying calm his nerves, his thoughts eventually did drift to the pharaoh again. A part of him wondered what would happen if 'Exinious' really was the pharaoh. It probably wasn't Yugi, if only because Ryou had gamed online with him before and his playing style was way different to 'Exinious'. Which meant...

Ryou’s cheeks grew red in embarrassment at his ‘Role Play’ talk. Although admittedly, Ryou could say that the pharaoh was certainly attractive. It wasn’t the first time that thought occurred to him. After all, Ryou's thoughts would occasionally drift amongst his classmates whenever the thought of relationships rose up. 

It certainly wasn't hard to imagine the other coming in the cafe doors, the two staring at each other with the same purple cap and t-shirt from yesterday, it now being obvious to them both. Maybe the pharaoh would laugh it off, pretend that it was nothing and they were going to just stay friends. But online, 'Exinious' was persistent and genuinely interested in meeting. Ryou sank in the booth cushion with a blush.

Dating the pharaoh huh? Today he’d find out for sure, and maybe if the other really was serious they might even leave here today just a little closer...

Still. Waiting was starting to make Ryou anxious. Especially as his tea slowly disappeared into bitter foam.

~*~*~*~

Despite the late night, the pharaoh had gotten up extra early, double checked in the online game's messaging right before heading out, and made sure to get to the cafe right as it opened. He reassured Yugi that morning that everything would be fine and that he was just taking care of an errand, and was a little surprised at how little questions his partner asked him. He’d have to make it up to him somehow.

Still, he was fully determined to make it up to his online gaming friend this time. He had even made sure that they would both wear the same thing. It wasn’t like the pharaoh had even reached the right train station yesterday to see the other.

He was fully ready to finally meet and have a date with someone who didn’t care about duel monsters or destiny stuff. For just one day he could forget about that and enjoy himself.

Except five minutes to meeting time, the pharaoh had looked over and saw Bakura now standing at the door.

Curiosity and confusion all mixed together, followed by panic as soon as he caught sight of the teen's shirt. 

_Oh. Oh no._

He sank far down into the booth seat. Grateful that he had picked a spot in the back facing away from the door. He rubbed his eyes and quickly looked again to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Nope. It was Bakura, standing at the counter with a plain t-shirt with a blue scapegoat on the front. He glanced around and the pharaoh had to sink even lower.

Suddenly, yesterday made way more sense.

He quickly hid back down when Bakura walked over to one of the booths by the window. The pharaoh swallowed hard, mind trying to come up with what to do. Should he go over there? Bakura had seen his cap yesterday and hadn't said anything. Maybe this was just a weird coincidence.

He looked back, watching Bakura now folding one of the napkins. There was the slightest blush on his cheeks, and the sunlight seemed to make his hair glow against his silhouette. The pharaoh held his breath when Bakura moved to glance out the window. Maybe it was just the quiet morning, but the other seemed so-

"Here you go."

The pharaoh jumped, one of the servers putting his drink down on the table before moving over to Bakura. The pharaoh ignored the tea, now realizing he needed to do something. He sank back into the cushion, and then took a breath, trying to get enough nerve to get up and go over.

“...”

But. Should he go over there and openly admit that he was 'Exinious'? What if Bakura played if off like yesterday? Was Bakura put off by the thought of potentially dating him? 

The pharaoh took a breath. No. He just had to get up and go over. He had _wanted_ to do this.

He started to stand, but immediately sat back down with a spike of anxiety.

What if this _was_ all just a weird coincidence? Battle City did prove that destiny worked in strange ways. He didn’t want to spook Bakura again or even confuse him more on how they happened to meet again two days in a row-

Wait.

What if this was just some ploy with the Ring trying to get back to Bakura. The millennium items did work in strange ways, especially in how that one in particular kept coming back to the teen. The pharaoh could just be overreacting, considering it was sitting in Yugi’s room with all the other items. But then again, it was his lack of action that got his friends in danger during the tournament. Would it be worth it to be putting Bakura into danger again?

He tugged at the Puzzle, staring down at the eye. Maybe he should ask Yugi really quickly what he should do.

Before he called to his soul room, the pharaoh lingered briefly on the thought of Yugi. He had wanted to keep this a secret from his partner, especially with wanting to find his memories on his own. 

“...”

No. He couldn't tell Yugi or the others. He would deal with this himself.

He had to do it.

And yet, his legs refused to move, his heart beating faster out of his chest. He grabbed his drink, lightly sipping on the tea inside. The ice was mostly melted, making it taste watery. He ignored it, taking a steady breath to go over and admit who he was.

Each time he thought about what had happened online however, immediate panic and the slightest bit of embarrassment made his cheeks grow red.

Glancing back to Bakura, who was now starting to look more and more passive as he drank his tea, the pharaoh couldn't get the mental image out of his mind of the two actually _doing_ those things. He slapped his blushing cheeks lightly.

He had to get it over with. The longer he stalled the longer this would.

Would...

Wait. What _would_ he do? Surely not just ignore all that talk. After all, he really did like his online friend in a closer way. Which was strange given how they had only talked about the game and everyday nonsense without mentioning card games or the fate of the world and what not. And if Bakura allowed it, maybe they _would_ end up getting to know each other even more. Which meant-

The pharaoh stood, turning on his heel and intending to walk over with sweat on his brow, blush on his face-

He blinked. Seeing the now empty seat.

Bakura had left.

The pharaoh looked around, slumped back down into his seat, and banged his head on the table. _Fuck!_

What should he do what should he do what should he-

He needed to catch up with Bakura!

The pharaoh grabbed his half drank tea and chucked it in the trash as he hurried to the counter.

"Excuse me!" he said to the cashier, who was now sorting through a bunch of duel monsters cards before looking up, "Could you tell me what direction the boy with the white hair had gone?"

"Hmm? Hmm... I think he went that way," the cashier said, pointing out of the shop towards one of the streets. The pharaoh nodded, then stopped when he saw the display of pastries.

Maybe.

"Excuse me," the pharaoh said again. He pointed to the case, "Could I get one of those to go?"

"Sure!” the cashier said, tossing the cards on the counter and grabbing a little box, “which one?"

The pharaoh looked at the prices and half winced. He knew that Yugi didn't mind them spending money on cards, but he probably should hold back on spending the last of all the allowance considering the ticket he bought for the train. He spotted the cheapest thing in the case.

"I'll take the cream puff with the scapegoat on it."

After handing over the money and grabbing the little box, the pharaoh hurried off down the street. Now where would Bakura go. Probably back home. Was there anywhere else that he might stop?

No. Shouldn't have to worry about that. If he was fast enough, he could catch up

The pharaoh quickened his pace. He wasn’t going to let this chance slip away!

~*~*~*~

When the hour of waiting was approaching, Ryou knew that ‘Exinious’ wasn’t going to show again. His shoulders slumped with a sigh as he shuffled out of the cafe. At least this place was out of the way enough to not have to walk past on the way to school.

Ryou sighed as he started to walk back. Looks like playing his favorite game was gonna get harder from here on. Maybe he’d find a different group to beta with.

Kicking at the ground, a part of him was actually hoping that it was the pharaoh after thinking more on it. Maybe then it’d be easier to get closer to Yugi and the others. Get past that weird unspoken barrier that seemed to keep them separate.

Suddenly getting a thought, Ryou turned the corner with a spark of determination.

He wanted to make sure that yesterday was just a mistake. That would at least help relieve that tension. And maybe he could even spend the day with everyone for a change. The Ring certainly wasn’t going to get in the way anymore. He’d take the first step towards changing things!

The game shop came into view and Ryou got nervous. For some reason, there was a tension in the back of his mind that seemed to pull him forward. It was oddly familiar.

He tried to shake it off, despite it getting stronger as he walked closer. The little bell rang as he entered, and Ryou spotted Yugi's grandpa at the counter.

"Hello," he said, spotting the teen, "Glad to see you're alright Bakura."

"Oh. O-Of course," Ryou said, rubbing his arm a little and now aware of how long it had been since he spoke to any of them about Battle City. He cleared his throat.

"Um. You wouldn't happen to know if Yugi is around would you?"

Yugi's grandpa thought for a moment, rubbing his chin as he hummed, "Well. I think he might've went out with Jou, Anzu, and Honda today? They were all talking about making plans for some sort of vacation for the break last time they were over. Although I think that Jou mentioned something about-"

Ryou stood there, the hollow feeling in his chest seeming to well up. He swallowed quickly.

“-And I’m sure that Anzu wanted to go somewhere with-”

"I see,” Ryou said stiffly, “Well. Thank you anyway."

"I can tell him that you came over!"

"No. That's ok," Ryou said at the door, slipping out and letting out the breath he was holding. He hurried until he was just outside of a park between his apartment and school. No one was around, so he slumped up against the wall.

“...”

At least this confirmed that yesterday _was_ just a weird coincidence. 

After all, why would the pharaoh of all people be playing an online game. Especially when he had everyone else. Their bonds were all so strong...

Ryou dug his hands into his pockets and he trailed back home, trying not to think of how he had wasted the past two days on running around looking for people clearly too busy to bother with him beyond a hello. It was expected of Yugi and the others, but now that it was clear that even his online friend he had tried to speak to was also just…

“...”

Maybe he chased 'Exinious' away with all his dumb fantasy talk. Was it obvious that he really just wanted someone to talk to. Just the feeling of someone else being there. 

Well. At least recently. It wasn't like the spirit in the Ring was talkative before, but he was at least there. Maybe it was all just a prank after all. Well. Looks like he'll have to find a new form escapism-

As he turned the corner too caught in his thoughts, someone ran into him at full speed. His breath was knocked out of him as whoever it was slammed the two into the ground. 

“S-Sorry!”

Ryou landed on his side, luckily avoiding hitting his head on the pavement. But when the other on top of him groaned and muttered an apology, he could've sworn he had. 

Staring back at him were two familiar purple eyes that were wide in surprise, barely hidden behind blonde bangs that were mostly held under a purple cap. There was sweat on his face, and he was panting hard from running. Both their faces were horribly close enough for Ryou to see the initial panic followed by relief.

That was the last thing he saw before there was an intense glow of light between the two and everything went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still don't know how to insert images so this will proably get an edit in a day or so when i do that.  
> Probably ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
> Also this will be updated twice a week.


	4. Chapter 4

The weather had been quite nice for the past few days. Sunny. Warm. What was expected for break. Yugi let out a sigh as he rubbed his face into fabric. The light from the window was really bright, and for some reason his bed was weirdly lumpy- 

His eyes blurred when he blinked, seeing the street for some reason. Wait. Why was he out here? Didn't the pharaoh have something to do toda-

Something shifted under him and he froze. Yugi pat at the 'ground', and quickly glanced up when realized he was lying on someone. He shot up and flopped back with a yelp.

"B-Bakura!"

He scrambled backwards with a blush on his face. Something smushed against his hand and he cringed, seeing some sort of custard now squished against it. He ignored it, wiping it on his pants before crawling to Bakura's side.

"Bakura? Hello?"

Yugi frowned. Was he. Asleep? He shook the other's shoulders lightly, but Bakura didn't stir.

"Bakura?" Yugi asked again, alarm being misplaced by fear. Something wasn't right. Especially if Yugi had been passed out as well. He glanced around in case someone had caused it, but saw no one. Only one person would know what was going on.

"Hey. Other me," Yugi said, taking the puzzle in hand, "Did something happen just now? I think that..."

Yugi held onto the puzzle and felt something off. He stared down at the eye that seemed dull.

"Hello? Other me? Are you in there?" he said, shaking it a little. There was an eerie silence from it. Yugi looked back up to Bakura. There was something wrong with the puzzle and he woke up with Bakura passed out in the middle of the street. This has Millennium item magic written all over it.

At that thought, Yugi's eye twitched a bit as he stared down towards Bakura's chest. The blush on his cheeks returned as he hesitantly pat down. Just to be sure, he peeked under the other's collar. Nope. No Ring. Yugi let out a sigh, then realized this must've been something else then. 

But in that case. What was he supposed to do? 

Yugi quickly looked around, wondering if this was a trick of some sort. But even with that risk, he couldn't just sit there in the middle of the side walk.

Get help? Wait around? Try and reach the pharaoh? Call Anzu?

... 

Call Anzu.

He dug into his pockets trying to find his wallet. A lot lighter than yesterday for some reason. Peeking inside, he realized why. 

"Other me. I told you not to spend all my money..."

He pocketed it. He didn't have money for a payphone, and he couldn't just leave. Now what? Yugi let out a sigh, glancing back over to Bakura. Well. Least he could do was get the two of them off the sidewalk.

Yugi got to his feet and looked around the corner. There was an entrance into a park. 

“Hold on Bakura. I’ll figure this out,” he said, determined. With a bit of a struggle, Yugi shifted Bakura up onto his back. It was awkward, Bakura’s feet dragging on the ground as Yugi did his best to walk forward. When he tried to shift the other more on his shoulders, something clattered to the ground. Yugi looked down and spotted a phone.

“... Oh! Er. I have to borrow this, Bakura. Sorry,” he said over his shoulder as he plucked the device off the ground. He quickly put in Anzu’s number. They were all going to hang out later today so she should be free.

He listened to the tone as he continued to drag Bakura along towards the park. He heard the phone pick up as soon as they got to the edge of the grass.

 _“Hello?”_

“... Anzu? It’s... Me,” Yugi panted as he flopped to the ground and rolled Bakura off. 

_“Yugi? Did you get a phone? I thought you were waiting for-”_

“It’s not my phone. It’s Bakura’s. I’m borrowing it.”

“ _Bakura? You hanging out today? Does he want to come along to the movies later?”_ Anzu asked _, “I can grab extra snacks after dance recital-“_

“Er. That’s ok!” Yugi said quickly, then sighed, “Actually. I’m not sure what happened, but I need your help. I’m at the entrance to the park near the school. I have a feeling something happened with the puzzle, I can’t get the pharaoh to respond and something happened to Bakura-”

_“What?! Ahh!”_

There was a thud, followed by a few worried voices. Yugi started to sweat, “Uh. Anzu?”

_”I’ll be there in fifteen! Call Honda. He lives close by there.”_

“Right. Thanks Anzu.”

The phone clicked off. Yugi let out a sigh. He glanced over to Bakura. Still no movement beyond his deep breathing. Yugi moved and lightly slapped at his cheeks. Yugi felt a little blush again as he shifted his hand up to the other's forehead. He didn't seem warm or cold. 

Yugi sat back, then looked down at the puzzle again. For the past few weeks, the pharaoh had taken to having his own time with Yugi's body to move around and such. It didn't seem like a big deal, mostly because neither of them got out of the house beyond school or to hang out with Jou, Honda, or Anzu. The only time that the pharaoh had asked to go out was yesterday, and Yugi figured it was for another date with Anzu. Obviously that wasn't the case.

Still. What would the pharaoh be doing with Bakura? Did it have to do with the items still?

Yugi hugged the puzzle in his hand before dialing up Honda’s phone.

~*~*~*~

Light slowly started to come back from the pitch darkness. Ryou blinked a few times, feeling the ground awfully cold. His head hurt a little as he sat up, as if he had been thrown back suddenly. When his vision steadied enough, he saw the sun and sky had vanished, and were replaced by shadows and stone corridors.

“Well. This is different.”

He got to his feet, feeling surprisingly calm despite the shadowy halls and stairs that went in all directions. There were doors all over. Some that made no sense on how they stayed up. Ryou wandered over to the closest one and opened it right up. Inside were the same warped halls.

‘Must be a maze,’ he thought, gently closing the door. He glanced around, “Hello? Is anyone here?”

There was no response. Ryou frowned, and started to walk forward. He wasn’t sure where he was going, but sitting still didn’t feel right. Almost like there were eyes all over watching. He held back a shudder. This wasn’t the first time he woke up in some strange location. Last he remembered he was at the game shop...

He only walked a few seconds more before something exploded just a foot away. Ryou let out a gasp, nearly getting knocked off his feet. There was a shift, and he quickly turned around.

“Oh. You’re Yugi's monster,” he said, spotting the dark magician far high in the air. He held the glowing staff high before pointing it down at Ryou.

The teen yelped as he jumped out of the way of another blast.

“S-Sorry! I’m probably not supposed to be here-wherever here is,” Ryou said quickly, “but uh. Could you tell me where-“

Another blast started to get charged and Ryou hopped back to his feet and started running. He wasn’t even sure where he was going, or if there was somewhere to hide. He couldn’t think straight with more blasts flying overhead.

“I’m sorry! I don’t know where I am! I’m just trying to leave!”

He charged at one of the doors, throwing his weight at it. Instead of another hall, he was left falling over the side of a stairway.

Immediately, he locked eyes with Yugi walking right below as he fell on top.

They flopped to the ground and groaned, Ryou leaning up on his elbows as he unintentionally straddled the other. Their faces hovered close. Ryou stares down into amethyst eyes that were wide with surprise. _Oh_. This wasn’t Yugi.

Another blast flew over and crashed into one of the doors. Ryou jerked and saw the dark magician hovering overhead, staff aimed down at him.

“W-Wait!” The pharaoh exclaimed, quickly standing in front of Ryou, “He’s not here to do any harm. He’s a friend!”

The dark magicians face remained void of emotion, eyes flicking down at the pharaoh and then to the other teen. Ryou flinched, looking away from the intense glare. The pharaoh stepped more in front.

He and the duel monster exchanged looks, as if silently conversing. The dark magician nodded, lowering his staff before vanishing. The two let out deep sighs.

“I’m sorry about that Bakura,” the pharaoh said, “ever since duelist kingdom the things in the puzzle have grown restless."

Ryou just sat there staring before letting his gaze drop to the ground. He shook his head.

“Er. Where are we?” He asked, looking all around.

“The puzzle. I think. It’s more like my soul room.”

“Soul room?”

“Something a man named Shadi had said. He had intruded here and was rightfully thrown out,” the pharaoh said, folding his arms, “At least I wish he was. Yugi managed to get inside here before that trespasser could perish.”

Ryou rubbed his temples. This was a lot to take in. Wait.

“Yugi is here?” He asked.

“Not right now. He tends to appear wherever I’m at in here,” the pharaoh said, hand gripping his chest slightly, “We’re connected in that way. He would’ve been with me if he were here. I have a feeling he's back in his body right now.”

Ryou slouched where he sat, eyes drawing to the ground. The pharaoh noticed, and held out a hand.

“C'mon. We need to get you out of here before some other trap triggers,” he said. Ryou gave a weak smile, taking a hold and standing up. The pharaoh nodded, leading the way. He hadn’t bothered to let go, and Ryou found his hand surprisingly warm.

His cheeks got warm. Should he say something?

“Er. Pharaoh,” Ryou started, “Uh. You um-“

“I’m gonna hold on until you’re safe,” the pharaoh said immediately, not looking back, “Not even I know what’s all here.”

His grip tightened around Ryou’s. A fluttery feeling went through the teen’s stomach. He kept his eyes trained on the ground as they walked, unsure of what to say or think of this moment. Still, he wasn’t about to protest now. Even with the butterflies in his stomach seeming to make chills go up his back. He thought about what the pharaoh had just said and stopped with a gasp.

"Wait. You said Yugi was with his body right?"

"Of course," the pharaoh said, turning back with a raised brow, "That's usually how it is. I can go out and speak to him but I'd rather not leave you here."

"Oh. O-Of course," Ryou said quickly with a blush, then cleared his throat, "Well. If that's true, who's with my body then?"

The pharaoh blinked, the color from his face seeming to drain. His grip tightened on Ryou's hand as his gaze fell to the ground in thought.

"I'm. Not sure? You're body might just be. There?"

Ryou blinked, "But. Are you sure?"

"I mean. It could be? The best thing we can do is find the way out for you-"

"Can't you just take me with you if you can get out?"

The pharaoh scratched his head, "I don't know. You might not end up in your body. And I might end up just leaving you here."

"Oh. Right," Ryou said, "Well. Just offering suggestions."

"No worries. I wasn't about to just leave you here anyway," the pharaoh said with a smile, "As long as I'm here, nothing is going to happen. I promise." 

He started to lead the way again. Ryou saw a flash of something in the pharaoh’s eyes as he turned. He couldn't place what it was, but didn't resist as they wandered along through the twisted corridors. Especially as Ryou squeezed the other's hand in response.

~*~*~*~

"I think it's... 6.0...1 Yeah here it is!"

The little group had gathered in the park only after ten minutes, trying to figure out the next course of action. The four of them weren't really sure what to do, since none of them knew what was going on. Yugi couldn't even explain why he was knocked out, nor why he couldn't reach the pharaoh.

At first they figured they could all go to the game shop. But then Honda raised the point on the Ring still being there.

" _The last thing we need is for Bakura to start acting weird again."_

Yugi sighed in thought. He was at least grateful that Jou had borrowed notes from Bakura at some point enough to remember where he lived. A rather close apartment complex that was rather nice from the look of it.

Along the way, Yugi couldn’t help but notice he dragged everyone away from what they were doing today. He blushed every time he caught sight of Anzu’s legs in dancing tights. 

"Honda! Hurry up! We're waitin' for you!" Jou shouted as they stood at the door.

"I would if you took a turn carrying Bakura instead of running ahead!" Honda snapped back as he came up from the stairs.

"I still say we should've called the hospital," Anzu said, "This could be something serious."

Jou shrugged his shoulders, "Yugi said the pharaoh's been acting weird. And from the looks of it this could be like at Duelist Kingdom with how Pegasus stole everyone's souls and whatnot."

"Except I doubt that both the pharaoh _and_ Bakura ran into Pegasus in the middle of Domino. He's supposed to be working at Industrial Illusions in America according to Otogi," Anzu said, then knocked on the door. They waited for a response.

"Maybe no one's home," Jou said, then started looking around the door trim, "There's gotta be a key somewhere."

"Yeah. Right here," Yugi said, digging in Bakura's pocket and finding a little key ring. Anzu blushed.

"Yugi that's rude!"

"W-well. We gotta get inside somehow. And Jou already almost picked a fight with the guy downstairs-"

"Less talk more getting inside!" Honda exclaimed, trying to shift Bakura on his back.

Yugi quickly unlocked the door. They all stood there awkwardly at the silent, dark apartment.

Jou nodded with a hum, "Right. Yugi go first.”

"Jou!"

Yugi ignored them, tugging his shoes off and going along the main hall. There weren't any pictures up. He peeked in the different rooms, noticing the one bedroom and room that had unmarked boxes. At the very end of the hall was the main room. 

"Over here guys, there's a couch and a few chairs," he said before Jou let out a little giggle.

"Oh sweet kitchen!"

"Jou get out of there!" Anzu shouted. A second later, they were all in the living room, Bakura laid out on the couch.

"He's got a nice place here," Jou said, "Nice view and everything. Who'd wanna be out and about with all this. Hey look! Looks like Bakura is beta playing that new online RPG. Shizuka mentioned something about her classmates playing it. Yugi, maybe you ought to ask your grandpa to start stocking video games."

"... I think Bakura lives here alone," Yugi said after glancing around. He sat against the front of the couch, still holding onto the puzzle.

"Yeah. Seems that way," Honda said, scratching his chin, "Looks a lot like my sister's place on the other side of town before she got a boyfriend."

Jou hooked his arm around Honda's shoulders, "Well. If he lives alone I doubt he'd care if we helped ourselves to a little snack! We did a lot of work just now after all-"

"What do you mean 'we'?" Honda said before smirking, "If anything I get first dibs!"

The two hurried out, Anzu sighing at them. She turned back to Yugi.

”No word from the pharaoh yet?”

Yugi shook his head, “No. It’s weird. I feel him there but it also feels blocked somehow.”

”You think he closed himself off?”

Yugi clutched the puzzle tighter in response. Something crashed in the other room. Anzu gave an exasperated look.

”You can go check on them. We’re fine here,” Yugi said with a smile. Anzu smiled back before wandering into the kitchen. Yugi’s smile dropped as soon as she left, staring down at the puzzle.

He knew this wasn’t a normal situation. He had noticed on the way over that subconsciously, he kept walking close by Bakura. As if something was pulling him towards the other.

Yugi shifted around, looking at Bakura again. Still no change. Maybe something happened like what Jou said. There were plenty of weirdos who seemed to show up when the items were involved. But if someone was stealing souls surely they’d be the first to know.

He clutched the puzzle tighter, then sat back against the couch again.

”Other me. Can you hear me in there?” He asked. Still nothing. He sighed. He took it in hand and started to take deep breaths. His eyes slid shut, focusing on that warmth that lingered in the Puzzle's depth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ll update this twice a week trying to aim for Tuesday thrusday but who knows not me weeeee


	5. Chapter 5

The pharaoh opened another door, seeing the same halls again before sighing and shutting it. Wandering through the halls never seemed to be this confusing before. He glanced back quickly, seeing Bakura still walking close behind. The pharaoh blushed a little when he saw their hands still together.

He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to think about that. The halls changed without any notice, and the darkness seemed to stretch on. Normally it would be easy to summon the hall between his and Yugi's soul room, but now it was as if the puzzle was purposefully keeping them from reaching it. Which meant there must've been a reason that Bakura had been dragged into this place. 

The pharaoh immediately thought about the second before the puzzle started to flash and the panic he felt trying to find Bakura. He started to blush more, and shook his head. There was no way _that_ was the cause of all this-

"Uh. Pharaoh," Bakura said. The pharaoh stiffened, taking a breath before turning.

"Y-Yeah?"

"You uh. You ok? Your hand is a little uh. Sweaty."

The pharaoh quickly let go, "Ah. Sorry! I uh. Just wanted to make sure nothing happened is all. Never know what will come out and all."

Bakura nodded, and glanced around.

"So. You called this place a soul room? What is that exactly."

"A soul room is the inner part of you soul in a physical form," the pharaoh explained, "I wouldn't really call this my soul room. More like the inside of the puzzle."

That much has always been clear to him. He knew his true soul room was somewhere hidden here, locked away with his memories. But even if he couldn't find it, this place in the puzzle actively reflected his own soul.

He glanced back over to Bakura, who was still looking in a few of the other doors. The pharaoh blushed, knowing that there was a more obvious reason as to why Bakura had been dragged in. Especially as he kept glancing at the other's T-shirt. 

Should he have mentioned something? If Bakura hadn't mentioned anything, maybe now wasn't the time. Even if the whole situation was because of the pharaoh's inability to speak up.

"So," Bakura said, "Does that mean were looking for my soul room?"

"Possibly. But I don't think it would be connected to mine," the pharaoh said, glancing upwards, "We're looking for the hallway that would connect my room to Yugi's. The door to yours might be there as well."

Bakura let out a hum, "Can you tell where Yugi's soul room is?"

"Not really. It's more of a subconscious thing. I'm sure were getting closer even if it doesn't seem like it."

He walked over and boldly took Bakura's hand again. The pharaoh felt his own breath hitch a little when they started to walk again. He wanted to focus on finding the exit. Yet, he didn't mind being there with just the two of them. After a few minutes, Bakura let out a chuckle.

"Is something wrong?" The pharaoh asked, stopping and turning back a bit. Bakura shook his head, and tapped at the brim of Yugi's cap.

"So. You're 'Exinious'?" he said, lips quirked. The pharaoh felt his heart start to race. He quickly looked down.

"Y-Yeah," he said, knowing that there was no way of avoiding it now. He cleared his throat, "So uh. That means you're..."

"Yeah I'm WizardTwink."

The two of them stood silently for a second before they both looked away blushing. Despite that, the pharaoh kept his grip firm around Bakura's. Bakura shook his head quickly, eyes cast down with red on his cheeks.

"So. Uh," he said, "Any idea how we're gonna get out of here yet? We can't just wander around forever."

"Well. This room has dragged people into it before. Once," the pharaoh thought, "I don't think you can purposefully get inside. It might've been a defensive thing on how you got here."

Bakura raised a brow. The pharaoh shuffled his feet nervously under his soft gaze. Instead of saying his thoughts out loud, he started to walk again.

As they continued, it started to feel like they weren’t making any progress. It always felt like they were coming back to the same area. Eventually, Bakura came to a halt.

"Bakura?"

"We can't just keep walking," the teen said, shoulders slumping, "I think you can tell, but we're not going anywhere."

The pharaoh scratched the back of his neck, "Well. We have to find a way out for you, and I'm not going to just let you sit here on your own. Let's just take a break."

The two plopped to the ground, no real place to sit. Bakura sighed deeply as he leaned back on his palms. The two locked eyes briefly and quickly looked away.

“So uh,” Bakura stammered, "What do the god cards do?"

"Hmm?"

"You got them from battle city right? I didn't see any of them because I wasn’t. Around," Bakura said, trailing off slightly, "So. What do they do?"

"Well. They're supposedly the key to my memories. I'm just not sure how to use them yet."

That much was true. He had visions of the museum and the cards after seeing Malik’s scars, but nothing telling _how_ he was supposed to unlock his memories. Bakura hugged his knees as he looked around.

"Could you use them here?" He asked.

"I don't think that's how that works."

"Oh. Right."

"I do know there's some sort of connection between them and the tablet of memories that was in the Domino Museum,” the pharaoh said, “I’ve been thinking of visiting at some point. Though after battle city...”

The pharaoh shook his head, recalling all that happened to Jou and Mai. He felt a larger twinge of guilt as he looked over to Bakura.

The other teen stared at the floor in thought, "The museum..."

"Bakura?"

"Let's change the subject,” he said with a grimace, “so if you’re Exinious, you know how to code the game right?”

“In some ways yeah,” the pharaoh said, scratching his cheek, “I only know because I asked Kaibastansanic. They’re the one who codes most of the game.”

”How’d you get them to tell you?”

”I promised to show them my cards at some point, though they didn’t seem interested,” the pharaoh said, “no one is interested in duel monsters there. It’s refreshing.”

“RPGs are a whole other world,” Bakura said with a smirk, “I’m sure even the king of games would have trouble playing my campaigns.”

The both laughed a little.

“Yeah. I’d like that. It’d be fun,” the pharaoh said, then frowned, "Bakura-"

"You can call me Ryou. There's no need to be so formal."

“Er. Ryou,” he said, testing the name on his lips, “Was I. Did I step over the line?”

Ryou raised a brow, “What are you talking about?”

The pharaoh shifted enough to be right in front of the other. He hesitated as he reached out, and took Ryou’s hand in a gentle hold.

”With what I had said in the private chat,” he explained, “I don’t want you to think anything different of me or Yugi.”

Ryou’s cheeks grew bright red, “Wait. Was I speaking to both of you?!”

”What- N-no! Yugi doesn’t know anything about the game!” The pharaoh said waving his other hand, “It’s just something I do to get my mind off of. Well. Everything.”

Ryou blinked, looking away with his cheeks cooling down, ”Oh. I see. I suppose that makes sense.”

“So. Uh. With what was said,” the pharaoh said bashfully, “Even though Yugi wasn’t involved, I hope it doesn’t change your opinion of him or I.”

”Well. It won’t change my opinion about Yugi. You on the other hand” Ryou trailed off, looking to the side.

The pharaoh raised a brow, wanting to press him for an answer. He felt Ryou’s thumb caress the back of his hand. Ryou’s cheeks blossomed red again.

 _Oh_.

He didn’t mean to, but images of their conversations started playing through his mind again, somehow more vivid. He dismissed it as an effect of being there with both their souls so close.

Yet. He felt the urge to toss any worry away and go forward. Especially now that he had a face to place those conversations with. And admittedly, in this place, their souls resonated in a closer way than any of the past conversations.

Ryou didn’t have as much hesitation. He scoot closer, their knees almost touching as they sat. He took the pharaoh’s other hand, intertwining their fingers.

The pharaoh stared at Ryou’s lips, which were soft and turning pink like his cheeks. He reached up, hearing his heart beating in his own ears. His hand cupped Ryou’s cheek, thumb slowly stroking closer to those lips. Ryou stiffened a bit under his touch.

“I-I can stop,” the pharaoh said, pulling his hand away slightly, “Just tell me and I will.”

Ryou let out a little giggle, "Doesn’t sound like you're too sure yourself."

The pharaoh swallowed hard, feeling his heart beating right out of his chest now. He hesitated slightly, and Ryou suddenly looked off to the side.

“Pharaoh,” he said quietly.

”Y-yes?”  
  
“When we’re out. Are things going to be different?”

As he stared into Ryou’s eyes, the pharaoh could see a longing in them. And a deep loneliness.

With no hesitation, he took Ryou’s cheek again and held it softly. He stared into those glistening eyes that were bright like garnets.

”Of course,” he said, leaning close enough for their foreheads to almost touch, “I can’t be sure how long we’ll be here. And I’m not sure what getting my memories back would mean. But I cherish the peace of mind you gave me, and I want to make it last.”

Ryou nodded once. He opened his mouth to say something, but ended up pursing his lips and shaking his head. With his free hand, he ran it up the other’s arm and held the pharaoh’s hand that was against his cheek.

They both leaned a little closer, eyes slowly sliding shut. The pharaoh felt Ryou’s breath against his lips-

Suddenly, the ground under him morphed. The sound of a door swinging open resounded. The pharaoh’s eyes shot open quick enough to see a door had appeared directly below him.

Ryou’s eyes opened and widened. Panic could be seen reflected within, “Pha-“

The surprise loosened both their grip, and the pharaoh tumbled into the dark, Ryou becoming a distant light.

The pharaoh twisted around and saw another light in the distance. He was falling straight towards it. He braced himself as it drew closer.

As soon as he passed through it, he flopped a top a little, plush bed. He quickly got back up and turned around, the door he passed through now shut.   
  
The second he glanced around he realized where he was with all the toys strewn about.

”This is...”

~*~*~*~

Ryou banged his fists against the door, trying to get it to open. He jerked the handle until eventually it pushed open. Ryou let out a yelp as he flopped forward and rolled through the door. It was a strange sensation to fall down and flip forward back against the floor. He quickly looked back, noticing the door was against a wall now and had shut itself.

The teen let out a sigh. He got back to his feet, the same corridors and stairs all around.

"Hello? Pharaoh? Are you here?" he asked. He was aware that he might be signaling any duel monsters around that he was now alone, but that didn't matter. At this point he'd just have to deal with whatever showed up.

"Pharaoh? Pharaoh!"

Ryou stared out into the shadows, letting out a sigh. He tried not to think about how hot and bothered he became in the short time that he was sitting there with the pharaoh. Half a dozen of their chats continued to play out in his mind.

He groaned and shook his head quickly, and chalked it up to hormones. Even if he didn’t have a body there, _that_ had to be why he was flustered right now.

To take his mind off it, he started to wander again, albeit slowly. His flaming cheeks started to cool the longer he walked, getting replaced by doubt. What if that was just another trick of this place? Ryou held his cheek.

No. The pharaoh was there. He was real. The actual trick was how the doors kept appearing and disappearing. He’d just have to solve this like an actual puzzle-

Light footsteps came running from behind and he quickly turned. Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed a hold of his shirt and slammed him against a wall. Ryou let out a pained gasp, dazed briefly as someone started to chuckle.

_"Well well. I knew that voice was familiar."_

Ryou's eyes shot open, a cold sweat trickling down his brow as stared back at his own twisted face. It couldn't be-

"Sp-Spirit?" He gasped out. The spirit of the ring grinned darkly, leering closer with a smirk.

"Hello host. Did you miss me?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uwu sorry this is only now being updated. I thought I lost this chapter and got too bummed out about it to finish but it be like that sometimes and turns out I had it backed up in one of my folders so it's gonna get finished by next saturday for reasons.  
> Also if there spelling errors is cause I’m dozing editing

The room was just as simple as it had been before. Assorted games and toys strewn about as if they were all used at the same time. The pharaoh sat there on the familiar plush carpet for only a brief moment before arms wrapped around his chest.

"Other me!"

The pharaoh gasped, turning around, "Yugi? What-how did you-"

"I reached for you and pulled you out of the puzzle," Yugi said with a smile, then quickly turned serious, "Something's wrong with Bakura. I woke up on the street and well."

He started to blush for a moment and shook his head, "Uh. Well. Something happened and he isn't waking up. What were you doing today? Did you run into someone?"

The pharaoh blinked. Oh. He put his hands on Yugi's shoulders.

"Don't worry. It wasn't anything like that," he reassured, "I think it was just the puzzle reacting to..."

He trailed off, getting cold feet under Yugi's gaze. His eyes were wide with curiosity and weren’t judging in the least bit. Yet the pharaoh felt uneasy with his lie he had kept this long. He took a breath.

"Well. It doesn't matter," he said, "Anyway. We left Ry-Bakura in the puzzle."

Yugi glanced back at the door, "His soul is in the puzzle? How?"

"Not sure. It could be because he held the Millennium Ring. Much like how that guy Shadi got inside before," The pharaoh said with a huff. He was still unsure about how _that_ even happened. He shook his head.

"Maybe. But Bakura doesn't have the ring. We do," Yugi said as he folded his arms, "Wait. Did you give it back or something? Because I checked and-"

"What? No of course not!" the pharaoh said as he stood up and walked over to the door, "The items are still hidden in your room.”

The pharaoh ran his hands along the edge of the door frame. The warmth of the wood was always a welcoming sight.

“Well. I guess if Bakura is okay then we just have to figure out how to get his soul back into his body,” Yugi said. He walked over and reached for the handle.

“... Wait.”

The pharaoh held a hand out. 

“There’s a good chance that we’ll get lost again if we try to go in without thinking.”

Yugi raised a brow, “Are you sure?”

“Yes. In the puzzle we happened to run into each other, but the chances of that happening twice. Well…”

The pharaoh trailed off. His hand on the door paused for a moment, feeling something stirring inside the puzzle. Yugi let out a hum as he tapped his foot. 

“How about… How about we channel our feelings about Bakura to find him?” Yugi asked, “I’m sure that-”

“What feelings?!” The pharaoh exclaimed, making Yugi jump. The pharaoh blushed at his exclamation.

“Uh. You feeling alright pharaoh?” Yugi asked, “You’re acting weird… And. You seem to be…”

The pharaoh looked away, feeling his cheeks still blazing. He let out a slow sigh. Looks like he’d have to say something after all.

“Listen… Partner,” he started, scratching the back of his leg with his foot while he looked away, “I… There _was_ a reason that Bakura was called to the puzzle. I might have brought him in by mistake.”

“Mistake?”

The pharaoh half-heartedly lifted his hands, “I just. I know that we have been sharing the same experiences ever since you solved the puzzle. But I also have my own feelings about everyone-”

“Well yeah. That’s why you went on the date with Anzu,” Yugi said, giving a smile.

The pharaoh had to resist banging his head against the door.

“Er… Not like that. Well. Kind of like that-anyway,” the pharaoh stammered. He sighed, and placed his hands on Yugi’s shoulder, “I… I have feelings-strong feelings-about our friends. Especially Ry-Bakura. “

He paused, finding his cheeks getting warm. His eyes flickered briefly to Yugi, who had an unreadable expression on his face. The pharaoh swallowed a bit.

“I see. Well. I suppose the first thing we need to do is get Bakura out of the puzzle,” Yugi said. He took a step back, “I think I have an idea, but I have to go- I’ll be back so we can find his soul.”

The pharaoh opened his mouth to say something, but Yugi was gone within a second. He lingered there, and could feel his own unease seeping through from beyond the door. But he could also feel restlessness all around him. He sighed, and pulled his hand away from the door.

‘Sorry Ryou,’ he thought, ‘I can’t let Yugi be upset. I’m sure you’ll understand.’

~*~*~*~

Ryou grasped at the hand wound into the front of his shirt. The spirit ignored his fighting, eyes narrowed as his lips curled in a smirk.

"It's about time I got close enough to reach you after I lost that duel," he said, twisting a lock of Ryou's hair in his fingers, "I was missing this host body. Although. It seems like you're missing the _body_ part at the moment."

Ryou flinched away from the other's touch, though he stopped struggling. Sizing up the other, he noticed something off about him. There was a _darker look_ in the spirit's gaze. Even in the way he stood he seemed bigger.

The teen swung his leg out, the spirit jumping away and letting go. Ryou threw a punch, the spirit grabbing his fist with a chuckle.

"Hmm. Seems like you got some fight since you lost the ring-"

"You mean since _you_ lost the ring," Ryou retorted with a glare, "I was asleep that whole time remember?"

"Details details. Which reminds me. I think it's about time we get back to work. Can’t stay in the open with that mage monster around after all," the spirit said, ignoring him. Ryou tugged his fist free, taking a few steps back.

"I'm not doing what you say!" he growled, "How-How are you even here?"

The spirit crossed his arms, shoulders relaxed even with the tension in the air, "There are many mysterious things about the Millennium items. You know I promised to show you one day-"

"That was a lie and you know it you parasite!"

Ryou continued to glare at him. The spirit always seemed to push him into the recesses of his mind, never really caring except during battle city. The spirit snickered under his breath.

"I can still show you. All the secrets with the items. As long as you get the Ring back that is," the spirit said, never quite looking into Ryou's eyes, "It's close. Closer than you think. Get it back and this won't be as painful."

"What. Like you can take my body right now," Ryou said, "You would've done it already. You never spoke before this except to brag."

Suddenly, the spirit started to chuckle. The malice in it made Ryou shudder. The spirit stood there, arms now at his side.

"Do you think I'm only confined to the ring? Foolish boy," he smirked, licking his lips, "The thief's soul may be tethered to the ring, but I'm _not_ the thief!"

When his eyes flicked up, Ryou froze. The spirit’s eyes were blood red, darkening in the shadows of the infinite halls. His shoulders shifted, suddenly growing larger. He smiled at Ryou, teeth growing into horrid fangs.

Snapping out of his daze, Ryou turned to run. He could hear the shadows behind him shifting and moving about, but he didn’t dare look. He quickly ran down one of the narrower hallways, feeling eyes on his back as he fled.

As soon as he saw a door he shoved it open, jumped through, and slammed it shut.

He didn’t bother to wait, taking off into the hallways again. With every twist and turn, he could still feel that thing’s presence. It felt suffocating as he tried to look for a way out. But even with how far he ran, it never felt like he was getting far. All he could hope was that maybe he would find the right door and-

Just as he opened another, he stepped right over the edge into the air. He gasped as he freely fell.

His hands reached out, barely grabbing a hold of the edge of the floor. He grit his teeth, fingers holding on by an inch. Thundering footsteps came from the hall.

“ **Host.”**

Ryou shuddered at the voice that echoed all around. The distorted laughter that rang out made the shadows crawl out from the door. Ryou didn’t dare let go, but flinched away as the cold seeped against him.

**“Looks like you don't have anywhere to run little host. You should know by now that this is your fate!"**

Ryou's eyes quickly looked around. He wasn’t sure if falling would accomplish anything other than falling onto the stone floor far below. There weren’t any other doors around either-

A hand suddenly reached down and grabbed his neck. Ryou choked as he was yanked upward. His hands reached at the appendage holding him, realizing that it had claws and purpled skin. Despite not having a physical form, it felt like his strength was being drained. He blinked the spots forming in his eyes away enough to see some sort of distorted form coming from the darkness of the hall he had been in. Red glowing eyes leered at him with glee.

" **I told you this would be less painful if you just got the ring,"** the demon hissed out, " **because now I might as well consume your little soul and let that thief run around in your vessel!"**

Ryou tried to move his arms and legs, his vision getting dark. He tried to cling to his consciousness, unable to fight the overwhelming darkness that was all too familiar.

“...”

He refused to let this thing win. He had to get away somehow. He had to fight back.

He had to see the pharaoh again.

Suddenly, the demon beyond the door’s edge let out a hiss, its grasp loosening ever so slightly. Ryou barely took a shuddering breath. The shadows shifted, retreating backwards into the door.

“... **Pharaoh,”** it snarled, then scoffed, “ **Let me give you a parting gift host. I wouldn’t want you to get lonely.”**

Its grasp tightened again. Ryou gasped as heat radiated from its claws that dug into his back. The pain was sharp and quick. It shot straight through his being, nearly making him black out. He could faintly see the eyes curve in glee as it let him go.

Ryou no longer had the strength to fight, simply falling back. A part of him was grateful to get away from that thing, but he also knew that he was probably gonna smash against the floor in a matter of seconds. 

Suddenly, instead of falling onto hard stone he was falling into light. Relief and warmth washed over him. It was strangely familiar…

When he dared to open his eyes, the evening light was stretching across the ceiling. His brows furrowed. Ceiling?

He moved his fingers, feeling soft cushions underneath. His eyes slowly looked around, and Ryou realized he was back in his apartment. He heard a noise, and tilted his head.

He came face to face with the pharaoh. 

“...”

“...”

They were so close. Ryou could see the shades of purple and red shifting subtly in his irises, glistening against the orange rays of the retreating sun. 

The faint traces of worry in the other’s gaze quickly faded, instead replaced by a softness. It was then that Ryou realized that the pharaoh was holding onto the puzzle in his hands, the chain wrapped around both of their necks. Ah. That explained the closeness.

“Ryou-” The pharaoh began before a noise came from the room.

They both glanced over. It was then that Ryou realized that Jou, Honda, and Anzu were also in the room, albeit snoozing. Both Jou and Honda were piled on the floor while Anzu was flopped over the armchair. 

“They were all worried when Yugi called,” the pharaoh explained, “I guess we gave them a bit of a scare earlier.”

“Earlier? Oh.”

Ryou sighed, sinking into the cushions at the thought of the day, which had gone by without both of them. A feeling of dread suddenly rose up.

“Wait. Do they know about-”

“I doubt it,” the pharaoh said, as if already knowing what Ryou was going to say, “Although… I did have to admit to Yugi that today wasn’t just an accident.”

Ryou raised a brow, “What do you mean?”

The pharaoh sighed. Hesitantly, he looked down at the puzzle. His thumb traced against the eye.

“Ryou.” he said steadily as he looked up, “I… I do have feelings for you.”

Ryou’s heart beat faster, almost leaping out of his chest. If it weren’t for the fact that his body seemed to refuse to move, he would’ve jerked up in shock. Or reached out and grabbed the pharaoh and-

“However.”

The pharaoh’s gaze drew back down. His hands tightened around the puzzle. The light from his eyes became distant and troubled.

“I think… I think I have to wait. It’s… I have to wait. You see. I wanted to keep this quiet but obviously Yugi panicked. And now he’s troubled and I don’t want to upset him. I tried to keep this a secret but I guess that’s what happens when you try something different. I might just stick to card games-”

A cold hollowness welled up in Ryou’s chest, a ringing seeming to drown out what the pharaoh was saying. Ryou’s throat closed up, his eyes burning for some reason. He had to bite his lip briefly.

“... So. Just… Just wait. I think once I get my memories back things won’t be so…” The pharaoh waved his hand slightly. He must’ve noticed Ryou’s expression, as his eyes filled with concern. Ryou turned back to face the ceiling, ignoring the look.

“I… I see,” he said quietly, “Well. I suppose you ought to get comfy. Unless you wanna wake everyone up.”

The pharaoh nodded, and tugged the chain away from Ryou’s neck. Even without the weight, his throat felt heavy. 

“Do you… Are you feeling alright?” the pharaoh asked. Ryou shrugged his shoulders lamely, still staring up at the ceiling.

The pharaoh leaned away. He sat with his back against the couch, “Well. I’m gonna talk to Yugi for a bit. He can wake them all up.”

It grew quiet. Ryou watched as minutes went by and Yugi’s body relaxed, going into a steady sleep, his head flopping forward. Ryou’s lips tightened. 

Knowing none of them wouldn’t notice him leave, he rose up and walked over to the balcony. He quickly opened and shut the door, feeling the brisk evening breeze around him. 

Ryou sighed deeply, folding his arms on the railing and resting his chin on top. The wind made his hair flutter slightly as the sunset over the bay made its retreat.

“...”

It was always going to be temporary. He knew that from the beginning that even if the pharaoh was the one he had been speaking to for weeks, it was temporary. At the very least, he thought he could enjoy it while it lasted but…

Glancing back, the little group was still splayed about. Yugi’s eyes slowly blinked open. He looked over, no longer the pharaoh, but just Yugi. He gave a smile as he cradled the puzzle.

And even though it hurt, Ryou smiled back.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time acts funny here for reasons tgat are apparent at the end

It had been a few days since the incident with the puzzle. The pharaoh clicked away at the screen half heartedly as his thoughts kept rounding back to what he said that afternoon. Because he knew that since then, Ryou was keeping his distance.

A part of him blamed the fact that he had been so forward. The pharaoh knew that it was unclear what his future would be after he got his memories back, and he didn’t want any regrets. However, he had to wonder if he should’ve held back a little on admitting that he had grown attached to Ryou.

For the first few days, he tried to pretend that they hadn’t talked for weeks and instead continue to just be casual friends. Yet, it was too hard to ignore, and during school hours the pharaoh found himself watching the other teen from the recesses of Yugi’s mind.

The thought made him pause, his finger hovering over the mouse. Yugi…

He had kept something from his partner. Something that felt harmless (considering he was doing it right now), but obviously carried weight on their souls. Yugi said it didn’t matter, but maybe it did more than he pretended.

The pharaoh sighed. He shook his head and focused back on the screen. The chat log was littered with complaints about the latest update that prevented them from getting stat boost by doubling up on certain items. His eyes wandered over it until he saw a private message pop up from Ryou.

The pharaoh hesitated on clicking it, but pressed it anyway.

WizardTwink: _Are you going on the raid tonight?_

He frowned before glancing at the clock. He probably shouldn’t. Another message popped up.

WizardTwink: _I mean. There’s a test tomorrow but I doubt it’ll be hard. Might as well stay up an extra hour._

Exinious: _Why? You missing me already?_

The text bubble kept coming up and going. Maybe he should’ve held back a bit on his quips.

WizardTwink: _Better you than the spirit._

The pharaoh flexed his fingers. His eyes trailed over to the closet where the items rested in a box. They never seemed to stir, perhaps losing their power after being given back, though he doubted that. Especially with _that_ one.

He looked back to the computer and saw the chat box.

WizardTwink: _You wanna hang out at lunch tomorrow? Or maybe afterschool?_

The pharaoh felt his chest grow warm, knowing Ryou was most likely asking to finally go on a proper date. He could always ask Yugi if he could borrow the body for a little while. There wasn’t anything going on tomorrow anyway. Right? He’d have to ask in the morning just to be sure. He typed a quick response.

Exinious: _Maybe afterschool. I’ll have to ask first but I think we’ll be ok. See you then._

He left no opportunity for Ryou to protest, immediately logging out as soon as he saw that the message was delivered. He turned off the computer and wandered back over to bed.

The pharaoh sighed as he plopped right on top. Already the exhaustion of the day weighed Yugi’s body down. He stared up at the ceiling before looking to the closet. The door was ajar, giving the slightest glint of gold that was tucked away.

He frowned. Spending time with Ryou would probably be dangerous with the ring around. 

They might’ve spent that one day outside of the game shop, but the items _were_ connected. And the ring had a strange way of getting back to its owner…

The pharaoh slipped the puzzle off, hanging it on the bed and letting Yugi’s hand slip away enough to let him sleep. From his form as a spirit he lingered there in the dark, still eyeing the items. 

“...”

They never reacted to him. Not even like this. But he didn’t doubt that the spirit of the ring was most likely still there. And there was only one way to be sure he left.

The pharaoh gazed out the window like most restless nights. He would have to take care of this once and for all. Although, the last time that everyone had gotten involved was battle city...

He sighed, and let himself retreat back into the puzzle. He would take care of his memories without dragging any of them into it. If he left before noon he’d be back before the end of the day.

~*~*~*~

Ryou’s eyes stared at the screen as his teammates continued to die. He sighed at having to use up most of his items for a simple raid mission again. He wished he hadn’t reminded the pharaoh about the test tomorrow, but at least they’d finally talk to each other.

He smiled warmly, considering the last time they had spoken by themselves was the day he got dragged into the puzzle.

At that thought, something stirred in the back of his mind. It made him shudder. The warmth in his chest seemed to get replaced by dread.

The memory of that thing in the puzzle made his hands tightened into fists. No. That thing was tied to the ring. It had to be. After all, if it was the ring it would’ve appeared by now. Or at the very least tried to reach out to him.

To get his mind off it, Ryou went back to the game. He watched as the little fanfare went off as they completed the mission. At least he could go to bed about-

Something knocked over in the room and made Ryou jump. He looked over and saw that it was one of the cups he left out. Though it was empty, the shards of ceramic had scattered around. Seeing it made his heart race for some reason.

Ryou shook his head, instead going out to get the broom and clean it up as quickly as possible. Perhaps it was time for bed…

As he gathered the remains and dumped them into the bin, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. As if there was something twisting inside his chest. Maybe he should do another mission...

Another mission became two. An hour became three. And without realizing it, Ryou kept leaning more and more on the desk as his eyes grew heavy. When his party reached an impasse he decided now would be a good time to just lean against the desk for a few minutes…

A second later he blinked the sleep from his eyes, sunlight streaming through the curtains-

Ryou gasped as he jerked upright. His screen was dark, reflecting back his own disheveled face. His hair stuck up on one side that he tried to brush down.

“... Ah! What time-“

He reached over to the clock, his stomach dropping at seeing that he had missed his alarm somehow!

Frantically, Ryou scrubbed away the sleep from his face and threw on his uniform. He nearly put his shoes on wrong as he stumbled out the door.

As he hurried down the street to school, he felt his phone ringing in his pocket. He ignored it, assuming it was his father. He could leave a message. 

When he got to the school yard, the end lunch bell rang. At least he’s be back for the second half of school. Ryou tried to catch his breath as he slowed along the halls until he was at the home room.

“Sorry I’m late,” he quickly said to the teacher as everyone else hurried to their seats. The teacher noticed him.

“Ah. Mr. Bakura. Glad to see you here. Just take your seat for now. And don’t make it a bad habit,” they said, taking a stack of paper that passing students eyed with anxiety.

Ryou turned to get to his seat and stopped. Yugi’s seat was empty.

He glanced around and saw that Jou, Honda, and Anzu were also gone. Before he could ask, the teacher started to speak and he hurried to his seat.

“Now class remember that this test is just a-“

Ryou’s eyes lingered on Yugi’s absent chair. Why would he be gone? Did something happen? Or did they all miss and he was the only one who decided to come to school? Though that was unlikely, Anzu at the very least would be here.

He stared out the window. It had to just be a coincidence. Right?

Suddenly, something went by the window. He blinked, watching as another went by. At first he thought they were birds, but they were too big. 

“-and can anyone tell me how-“

“-uh. Excuse me,” Ryou said. Eyes went to him.

“What is it Mr. Bakura?”

“There’s something out the window.”

The teacher raised a brow. Before anyone could say something, a large figure flew past the window enough to make the room shake. There were small gasps and yelps. 

“Settle down class! I’m sure that it was nothing-“

There was a roar from above. Students jumped out of their seats and rushed over to the windows. Murmuring erupted before someone shouted.

“Look! There’s a dragon!”

“What? A dragon? Sit down everyone-”

More shadows rushed up against the window, and looking over everyone’s heads Ryou could see the image of flying creatures. Immediately he recognized a few. It couldn’t be-

The teacher rose up, “I said get back to your seats! I’ll find out what’s wr- Mr. Bakura get back here!”

Ryou’s feet slid against the floor as he ran down the hall. Some students had already started to wander out. A few pointed out the windows where more monsters were appearing. No. Not just any monsters. Duel monsters.

When Ryou got to the shoe lockers, he jerked open Yugi’s and saw nothing. He had a bad feeling in his gut. As soon as he gathered his things he was out the door again. 

He turned and glanced in each direction. Where could they have gone...

~*~*~*~

The pharaoh paced around the dark room, still on edge after the duel with that thief that stole the god cards. Moonlight shone brightly upon him. What could this all mean?

“Pharaoh,” Yugi said, appearing next to him, “If you’re worried about the god cards, I’m sure we’ll get them back.”

“I know we will,” the pharaoh sighed, taking a seat on the bed. He tried to calm himself, but he could feel Yugi’s own anxiety bubbling up into his chest, “Don’t worry Yugi. We’ll go look at the tablet of memories again tomorrow and find out what’s going on.”

Yugi nodded, though he hardly seemed reassured. The pharaoh couldn’t blame him. With actual duel monsters becoming real, it wasn’t just the threat of this new enemy that they needed to worry about. A thought passed his mind.

“Yugi. Could I get a moment,” he asked. Yugi raised a brow, but nodded. He faded away into his soul room. The pharaoh held the puzzle in his hands for a second before turning to the computer. After connecting, an assortment of articles came up with the appearance of the monsters.

Ignoring those, the pharaoh brought up his game and quickly logged on. He wasn’t surprised that there was no one there, considering the day’s commotion. He was surprised to see Ryou not logged on. 

Glancing at the public chat, there was a huge thread on what was going on with everyone mostly blaming Kaiba Corp. Unsurprisingly, Kaibastansanic was on there defending it as much as they could. The pharaoh turned his attention to his private chat logs. 

His hands hovered over the keys. What should he say? He started simple.

Exinious: _Ryou are you okay? We left school early but you weren’t there._

He waited a minute. Usually it didn’t take Ryou very long to respond if he was home (which hopefully he was). The pharaoh’s foot bounced as he waited, eventually deciding to write more. He kept starting and deleting what he wanted to send. 

Exinious: _Going to the museum tomorrow. Hope you can come. We’ll be there at noon._

~*~*~*~

There was a faint noise of sirens. Ryou shifted as he buried his face into cushions. The world slowly started to come back into view. He realized he was looking at his curtains fluttering against the open window. Odd. He didn’t remember opening his windows-

He also didn’t remember it being night time. 

He shot up. Looking down Ryou saw that he was still dressed in his uniform, shoes and all. His breathing got uneasy as his eyes darted around the room. They landed on the clock. Only a few hours had passed. But how’d he get back to the apartment?

Taking one easy breath after another, Ryou got up from his bed and shuffled along through the hall. All the lights were off, an eerie silence going through it. There was a weird sensation that crawled up his back as he stood in the doorway to his room. He exhaled slowly, deciding to shut the door. 

As he held the knob, he tried to recall what happened. He slept in. He went to school. And then…

Oh! There were duel monsters!

Ryou ran over to the window. He could still faintly see outlines of things flying in the air, but not as many as before. He looked at the clock. Maybe…

He went to the desk, powering on his computer. When he brought up his game, Ryou immediately noticed all the private messages in his queue. He raised a brow as it brought up the earliest unread message.

For some reason, the time stamp said _yesterday_. The message was from the pharaoh.

Exinious: _Ryou are you okay? We left school early but you weren’t there._

Exinious: _Going to the museum tomorrow. Hope you can come. We’ll be there at noon._

The next time stamp read _3 hours ago_.

Exinious: _I hope you’re okay._

Exinious: _Found out important things today at the museum. These monster appearing isn't normal. We’re meeting against tomorrow and I want you to be there. Meet at the game shop as soon as you can._

Exinious: _Be careful out there Ryou._

His eyes read over the lines a few times. He looked at the computer’s calendar and jerked from his seat.

How did a whole day pass?

Something clattered in the kitchen that made Ryou jump. The uneasy feeling rose in his gut again, and he knew what it could be.

He stepped to the door, pressing his ear up against the wood. There were no footsteps, but there was the presence of _something_ just beyond the barrier. His palms grew sweaty. He stepped away. 

Ryou looked over to the computer. There was the faintest haze going over the screen. He bit his lip.

“Fine. If that’s how you wanna play this game!” he said. Propping a drawer against the door for good measure, Ryou threw off his uniform and put on normal clothes. After plopping into his chair and lacing up his shoes, he typed a quick message.

WizardTwink: _I’ll be there early._

His hands froze when he almost put a quick “miss you.” His cheeks grew red at the thought and decided against it. Instead he shook his head and started to bring up a few mission objectives. There weren’t too many people on at the moment, but that didn’t matter. He just needed to stay awake long enough for the sun to rise.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter is short because the ending will be up in a few hours anyway ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

“You ought to try the egg puffs. They’re sweet and chewy,” Ryou said as he leaned back against the booth. The cafe was filled with customers, all bustling with no care as music played softly. The smell of sugar and butter enriched the air. 

The pharaoh laughed, stirring the straw of his drink, “You only think about food don’t you?”

“Nothing wrong with that. Unless you’d prefer we talk about duel monsters again It's been what, an hour?” Ryou said, resting his chin on his palm. The pharaoh rolled his eyes.

“No. I think I’ve had enough duel monsters ever since they started to show up,” he said, hands placed out in front of him. He reached over and clasped Ryou’s free hand. Ryou felt his cheeks heat up.

“Pharaoh-”

“No. Listen. I’ve been thinking about it again. My memories.” He had a sullen look in his eyes. He shook his head and looked up to Ryou. “And. Well. I don’t think it would be such a bad thing if I decided to just. Stay here.”

“Stay here?”

“You know… With you.” His thumb traced the back of Ryou’s hand. Ryou’s chest started to flutter.

“I… I mean… Are you sure?”

“Of course,” the pharaoh said, “Being with you. It makes me feel whole. I’m glad to share time with you, it means so much with everything going on. Does… Does that make sense? I... I just want to be around you more. And I hope that you want to stay here with me.”

Ryou had to turn away as his cheeks heated. He wasn’t expecting this. After having to worry for so long, the sheer relief of knowing that he actually-

He paused when a flash of red caught the corner of his eye. Out the cafe window Ryou spotted someone standing there on the other side of the street. They looked familiar for some reason, even though Ryou could only make out a red cloak. 

“... Ryou? Is something wrong?” the Pharaoh asked.

Ryou couldn’t look away. As if the person was trying to get his attention on purpose. But how could they from so far? Ryou let out a small gasp when they turned away.

“Ryou?”

“Sorry I have to go-”

Ryou didn’t look away from the person as he went out the door and into the street. Ryou paid no attention to the cars as he ran across to follow. 

“H-Hey!” he called out. The streets seemed to desert themselves as he ran after the stranger in red. It felt like it was taking forever to catch up even as they walked at a slower pace. Ryou’s eyes didn’t leave them. Drawn as if by instinct.

When Ryou turned down an alley, he was surprised to find it empty.

“... Wait… Where did.”

He looked up and saw that the person had climbed up onto the roof. They looked down at him before turning to walk away.

“Wait! Who-” Ryou started before looking for a ladder. He saw one made of wood propped up against the wall. He quickly climbed up, feeling the brisk desert heat against him as he got to the top.

Ryou looked over the tops of the buildings, seeing the sands stretching across the horizon. Turning each way presented the same until he spotted the stranger in red.

They stood on the edge of the building, looking out towards a large monument that towered over the rest of the town. Ryou took a few cautious steps to not spook them. 

“... Who are you?” Ryou asked when he got closer. The figure chuckled before turning around. From under a silt hood peeked out lavender eyes and a scarred face. Ryou inhaled sharply, recognizing the gaze. “Wait… You’re-”

“Trying to get along with the pharaoh are you?” the other said, malice undertones in his gruff voice, “That’s cute.”

“You’re that demon aren’t you,” Ryou said, then balled his fists, “Why are you here?”

The stranger scoffed, crossing his arms. “Demon? You mean Zorc? Please. You have more things to worry about than Zorc.”

Ryou raised a brow. The other started to chuckle.

“I’m talking about _him_ ,” he said, “the one you just called pharaoh! You shouldn’t be so quick to befriend someone so callous.”

Ryou frowned. “What are you saying?”

“There’s more at play when it comes to the items,” the stranger said, “Magic that is meant to consume wicked souls. Like that of the pharaoh!”

“The pharaoh isn’t evil,” Ryou said firmly, “The spirit of the ring is. And that demon Zorc is!”

The other laughed again, and walked right up to Ryou. The teen stepped back a bit. For some reason this guy seemed so familiar...

“If you had known the truth then maybe you wouldn’t be so quick to say such things,” he hissed with a grin, “Believe me. You’re just setting yourself up for disappointment!” 

Ryou frowned at him. Before either of them could respond, something shifted in the distance. Ryou could tell that it was something sinister as the sky grew darker. The stranger glanced back towards the storm.

“Oh. Looks like it's losing power for now. I guess that’s all the time I get for today. You might wanna hurry and get out while you can. It might only be for a little bit but it's better than being stuck here,” he said, “Either way, don’t put so much blind faith in that pharaoh. It’s not like he’s willing to stick his neck out for anyone with less worth.”

The ground quaked as the shadows started to surge towards the two. Despite that, Ryou didn’t budge.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” he exclaimed, “You-You’re just a part of that _thing_! Why do you even care?”

The other started to laugh aloud, as if mimicking the thunder that loomed overhead.

“You’re right! I _don’t_ care!” he shouted as the wind picked up around them, “But maybe _you_ ought to! After all, the pharaoh’s not around right now is he?”

Ryou shrank down a little. The air got cold, and made him shudder.

“Well. Consider this advice little one,” the stranger said, taking another step before being face to face with Ryou. This close, Ryou could see the way his scar stretched up over his eye and down towards his lips. A tanned hand came up and gently tilted Ryou’s face up. “Nothing is what it seems! Especially with the Millennium Items.”

With that, he shoved Ryou back. Instead of hitting the ground, Ryou continued to fall down into darkness. He let out a shout as he saw the other dissolve away into sand. 

Ryou twisted midair and saw the ground quickly approach. Just as he slammed into it, his body kept moving, flung upward in a disorienting motion.

His arms flailed out. Ryou calmed enough to see that he was facing his ceiling. His hands pat to his sides, feeling the soft down of his comforter. That did little to ease his quickly beating heart, especially when he saw the sun’s bright light coming through the curtains.

Ryou sat up, and saw blue skies outside. He wiped the sweat off his brow, automatically turning to the computer. His stomach dropped. 

Slowly getting onto shaky legs, Ryou took two steps towards the cracked computer screen. A single impact was in the middle. He looked down and saw the faintest trace of cuts on his knuckles. 

“... No.”

He looked to his clock. 

“No… No no no!”

Ryou shoved the dresser aside and threw the door open. He didn’t bother to see if anything was out of the ordinary as he ran through the hall and out the front door. The open air flew by as he hurried down the stairs and onto the street.

‘Please please please,’ he thought, ‘I couldn’t have slept for more than a few hours. There’s just no way!’

As soon as the game shop came into view he went faster. Ryou jerked at the door handle, only to find it shut. He noticed a different sign up.

_‘Closed. Be back in a few days.’_

Ryou’s breathing got even more uneasy. His stomach was twisting in on itself. He peeked through the windows. Not a single light on.

He backed away. No.

His hands went to his pockets. Besides his keys, he had nothing else with him.

Phone. He needed a phone!

Ryou turned on his heel and ran towards the park nearby. There had to be a payphone somewhere near-

“Ah!”

He went barreling into someone. Ryou managed to catch himself and grabbed the other before they fell. He saw familiar chestnut hair.

“... Oh! Bakura!”

He blinked. Oh. It was Jou’s sister.

“Hi… Uh… Shizuka…?” He steadied the both of them. “S-Sorry about that. I was just uh. In a hurry.”

“Oh. It’s okay,” she said, brushing herself off a bit, “Trying to get home before the duel monsters start appearing?”

“Huh? Oh. Y-Yeah,” Ryou said, “Weird how that’s real right?”

“Not really. I think we of all people should be used to that sort of thing,” she said with a laugh, “It’s calmed down though. I hope big brother hasn’t gotten into trouble.”

“Huh? You mean like usual?”

“Yeah. Especially on that trip of theirs,” Shizuka said as her lips twitched, "Jou never was one to travel quietly though-"

“Trip?”

“Oh!” Shizuka blushed a bit. “That trip Yugi and the gang took to Industrial Illusions three days ago. Jou was pretty excited about it. I think they were going to San Francisco-”

Ryou’s ears started to ring. Even as Shizuka talked away with the faintest glimmer in her eye, Ryou could only feel dread building up into his chest. 

No.

His hands twitched as his sides. Shizuka glanced up towards the sky.

“They’re probably up there somewhere. Having another one of their adventures,” she sighed with a smile, “I wish I could’ve gone. Must be fun to go to America, but Pegasus only said for Yugi and his close friends to- huh? Bakura?”

“Sorry. I just remembered I have to hurry and take care of an errand,” Ryou said quickly as his throat threatened to close, “Say hi to Jou when you speak to him.”

He turned and ran back along the street. Shizuka said something after him but he couldn’t bother to pay attention. Not with his eyes burning. 

Ryou never realized how quick the way back home was. Or maybe he just didn’t get that far to begin with. His footsteps slowed, though his breathing didn’t. As calmly as he could, he got inside the apartment, lingering at the door once it closed. The empty pit in his chest sank even more. 

... Three days... He missed them by three days.

The presence in the apartment started to stir. That empty pit in his chest became filled with anger. Ryou grabbed the closest object, which happened to be a picture frame, and flung it down the hall with a shout.

“This is all _your_ fault!” He screamed at the air, “Every time I want something. _Every time! You get in my way!”_

With a blind rage, Ryou grabbed everything within arms length and started throwing it out towards the dark cackling that echoed through the hall. By the time he winded himself and sank to his knees, tears were crashing to the floor.

“... I… I just wanted to…”

He curled his legs closer, wanting to sink down into the floor. The shadows twisted around at the end of the hallway, though none of them came closer. 

Ryou stared down at the floor, his mind void of any thoughts except resent. He sniffled a little, wondering if Yugi or his friends had bothered to come check on him. Did the pharaoh bring it up to them? Obviously that demon from the ring didn’t want him talking on the computer anymore. He could always try and find a public computer and see what the pharaoh had to say, but that cold chill in the air told him that it wouldn’t matter.

He felt the presence come closer. Cold hands grasped onto his shoulders, sending shudders along his body.

**“Don’t feel so bad dear host. I can make it better.”**

The shadows swirled around.

**“Let me help. I can get you to the pharaoh.”**

The hands ran down his chest, lingering on the spot where the ring once hung.

**“You and the pharaoh have a shared destiny. Don’t you want to meet it. It’ll be easier once you let me in fully and stop being difficult-”**

Ryou laughed bitterly. The tears had gone dry, but his eyes still itched. “The destiny you talk about isn’t the one I want. I refuse to be used anymore.”

Ryou rose up and reached for the doorknob. Suddenly, his foot was tugged out from under him and he was dragged down the hallway. His hands flailed out desperately as he shouted in surprise, only managing to knock over a chair and sweep at the broken porcelain and picture frames. He heard a door open somewhere in the darkened apartment.

“You may be able to defy me now. But we’ll see how long that will of yours lasts without your friends around!”

…

…

…

…

...

Exinious: _You didn’t come today Ryou. Is everything okay? I waited around but you didn’t show._

_It seems like Duel Monsters might really be involved with what’s going on. Pegasus invited us to his company in America. There’s a private jet so I’m sure you can come along._

_Please be okay._

_We’re leaving in a few hours. Let me know._

_…_

_Ryou please answer. Even if it’s to say that you don’t want to come along._

_I really want you close by. None of this seems normal. Especially if someone like Pegasus is afraid of what’s going on._

_…_

_Please Ryou._

_Listen. I’m glad to share time with you, it means so much with everything going on. Does that make sense?_

_I just want to be around you more. So please say something._

_…_

_I’m coming over._

WizardTwink: **_Sorry. I’ve been busy. I can’t come along. I have business to take care of and won’t be around._ **

Exinious: _Can’t I say bye?_

…

_Ryou?_

  
WizardTwink: **_Goodbye Pharaoh._ **


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taking creative liberties and changing the scene of the church slightly (of course).

Cards were strewn across the bed as the two made a few quick changes to their deck. The pharaoh watched Yugi shuffle through a few magic cards before sighing.

“What’s wrong pharaoh? Did you want to use a different card for the tournament tomorrow or…?”

The pharaoh shook his head, looking out the window of their hotel room, “No, I trust your judgement.”

“Okay. But something tells me your mind is on something other than cards.”

“Nothing escapes you does it,” the pharaoh said before floating over somewhat, “It’s just. It’s been a few days since we left Domino. I’m just…”

Yugi stared before letting out a small laugh, “Lemme guess. You’re worried about someone?”

The pharaoh felt his cheeks heat up despite having no form. Yugi laughed again.

“You should know by now that I can tell what you’re thinking. Especially after what happened with the Orichalchos.”

The pharaoh watched Yugi select a few more cards before counting them all together. That’s right. After being ripped apart the way that they had, being set back together gave so much relief. He never realized the void that was in his heart that needed to be filled. Maybe that made it easier for the two to understand each other more.

“I know. And I’m glad that you can,” the pharaoh said earnestly, “I don’t ever want you to think of me how you did during…”

He sighed again. 

“Pharaoh. That wasn’t you. That was the orichalchos,” Yugi said with a frown, “Besides. Everything is fine now! Once we beat the tournament and Kaiba pays for our tickets home, we’ll be back in Domino before you know it. Then we can get your memories back!”

“Yeah…”

As Yugi turned his attention back to their deck, the pharaoh wandered over to the window. The sky was clear, the stars somewhat visible.

Even though he should feel glad that things were fine, he couldn’t shake the unease in his gut. The thought of going back to Domino and getting back on track made him anxious. He still didn't know what any of it meant, and after facing the great Leviathan, something in his heart told him that there was something else waiting on the horizon for them.

Yugi yawned, stretching his arms above him. He stacked their deck neatly and hopped into bed.

“Night pharaoh!”

“Night partner.”

The lights were off, and after a few minutes Yugi was fast asleep. The pharaoh watched briefly before looking back to the sky.

The thought of his last conversation with Ryou played back in his mind.

"..."

Admittedly he tried not to think too much about leaving the other behind, but something felt off about the way it happened. It was too abrupt. Too simple. Ryou was blunt but not cold. Not to mention the fact that Ryou _had_ been with them since duelist kingdom. He was a part of their lives, and the pharaoh didn't want to treat that lightly.

The pharaoh leaned back as he sat in the air. It did cross his mind to try and get in contact somehow, but he wasn’t sure _how._ Anzu’s phone didn’t exactly get long distance, and their shared server was in Domino.

He let out a sigh. His hand went to the puzzle. 

…

No. Maybe it was for the best. 

It hurt having to face Yugi, Jou, and Mai in the ways that he did. The last thing he wanted was to face Ryou in that way. Considering the last time he had to face Ryou in a duel…

The pharaoh lingered for a moment more before retreating back into the puzzle. It had only been a week. Nothing would’ve changed in that time… Right?

  
  


~*~*~*~

“ _-it looks like the current champion Yugi Mutoh is having trouble. Will he be able to win against newcomer Leon von Schroeder?”_

The room had been thrown into chaos. Various objects had toppled over or were scattered about in pieces. The TV was off its stand and sat on the floor with Ryou who huddled in his comforter. 

The demon had subsided for the night long enough for Ryou to wander out of his room to the living space. He stayed on edge, even with the lack of sleep making his eyes heavy. As long as he got back in his room and didn’t pass out, that thing wouldn’t make him sleep. At least that’s what he told himself for the past few days.

Still, every few seconds he shut his eyes, Ryou felt gaps of time stretching more and more. One second it was Yugi’s turn, the next his life points were being blasted away. He tried to stay invested but the comforter was so warm and soft. Maybe if he just-

He jerked when a noise blared out of the tv.

_“The KC Grand Championship has come to a close. The winner and still world champ is Yugi Mutoh!”_

Cheers went off on the TV screen. In the distance there were a few other hollers of joy from Domino. Ryou’s eyes stayed glued on the bright screen. He saw the pharaoh wave out a little before approaching his opponent. They exchanged words as the rest of Yugi’s friends ran up to him. Ryou’s chest twinged at how cheerful they looked.

Ryou froze. He could feel the temperature drop dramatically.

“ **... What’s wrong host?”**

Ryou grabbed a cup and flung it out. It crashed against a wall, the shadows retreating back.

“Leave me alone!”

He sat back down, wanting to finish watching. Except the tv started to turn to static. Ryou clenched his fists.

“ **Host. You need to listen well. Otherwise this will be painful-“**

“What you do doesn’t matter. You would’ve taken over by now if that were true-“

The tv static got more intense until sparks came off the plug in. Ryou stood and took a few steps back.

“ **Obviously you need more convincing!”** The demon purred low, “ **Although. I’ll have to thank the pharaoh later for getting rid of that other creature. Now that it’s gone my power can go free!”**

Ryou raised a tired brow, “What are you talking about-“

A chill crept up his legs. Pain radiated in his chest. Ryou gasped, recognizing the feeling. The demon started to chuckle.

“ **Although if there was one good thing about those fools opening the doorway to the duel monster realm, it’s that I was able to seep through just enough to regain control of my dear vessel!”**

Ryou choked a bit, his back hitting the wall when he stumbled. The shadows lingered around him, as if wanting to touch but staying just a hair away. Ryou twisted, stumbling back to his room. He caught his reflection as he passed the bathroom. A sinister grin looked back at him.

“ **We need to make this quick host! Once the pharaoh gets back it will be much harder to put our plan into place.”**

“You don’t scare me spirit!” He shouted. Laughter rang out.

“ **That’s too bad. Maybe if the thief soul were here that’d be true, but I’ve made sure he won’t disturb us.”**

The shadows built up around him. Ryou turned around and saw them morph into large red eyes.

**“It’s just you and the infinite darkness now! And I think it’s about time you sleep!”**

The shadows swirled before surging forward. Ryou turned on his heel and ran back to his room. Making sure the door was shut and the dresser was back in place, Ryou went to the window and threw his makeshift rope out. He never got close enough to the front door to escape, but he wasn’t about to lose if that thing was finally making its move! He could hear the demon growling on the other side of the door.

“ **You can’t run away from me!”**

The door burst open. Ryou gasped as he hopped out the window. His hands managed to grab a hold of his torn up sheets, sliding to the ends that barely glossed over the tops of the apartment trees. As soon as he got close he flopped down into them, gasping as he fell to the ground.

Ryou blinked a few times, realizing he was looking up at the stars. 

“I’m… I’m out,” he breathed. He wasn’t expecting that to actually work. But then again, he tried not to make it obvious what he had been doing in his room. At least he didn’t have to worry about-

The window above burst into pieces. Ryou scrambles back to his feet, hurrying down the street as he heard the apartments stirring from the noise.

He had to get help somehow! But. Where? Yugi and the others weren’t around. They wouldn’t be for at least another day. Maybe if he just kept running he’d be able to get away...

He didn’t realize it, but Ryou had unconsciously come back to the game shop. He paused when he was across the street. Maybe if he just-

Laughter came from behind him. Ryou jerked a little, his chest aching more. Suddenly he realized _why_ he had gone to the game shop. The ring was close. But then that would mean… 

He took a few steps back before turning and running again. What was he supposed to do now? There was no one around. The only thing he could do at this point was run.

He went down the alleys and streets, noticing how eerily empty they all were. Ryou turned down another before tripping. His body felt so heavy after so long-

 **“And where do you think you’re going?!** ”

The voice was getting louder. Ryou got back to his feet. He couldn’t let it win!

He ran. He wasn’t sure where he could even go. But he wanted to get away from that horrid thing that was now scratching and clawing at his mind. He caught the flash of stone walls and large wood doors, the faintest of memories rising from his childhood. He picked up his pace until he slammed into the door. He slipped inside as the howls of the darkness continued, lightning flashing briefly in the sky. 

Silence greeted him on the inside, only his frantic uneven breaths echoing. He turned to look towards the church’s altar, the faint glow of the moonlight casting through the stained glass. 

“I should be safe in here,” he sighed. Nothing happened, so he took a few cautious steps forward. Maybe he could stay here until-

The candles sprung to life. Laughter echoing all around. Ryou jumped, his hands balling into fists.

“Stop it! Stay away from me!”

“ **I can’t do that. We still have a mission to complete!”**

Ryou raised a brow, “Mission?”

The demon chuckled, “ **How quickly you forget. You promised to help me get all seven! We only have the one.”**

Ryou felt something in his hand. He looked down and yelped, dropping the metal ball on the floor before tripping backwards. It seemed to stare back at him as it gleaned in the dark.

“ **We need all seven! You are my vessel. Now stop resisting and let me in!”**

“Never!

“ **What makes you think I’m giving you a choice! You WILL help me! ”**

“You can’t force me!” Ryou shouted, though his body refused to cooperate and stand back up. A faint ringing echoed through the room, making his head ache. The shadows above morphed into those red eyes glaring down at him as if he were just a speck.

**“THAT’S WHERE YOU’RE WRONG MORTAL!”**

The ringing continued. The windows shattered as the shadows descended down on him. Ryou tried to get back to his feet, but after days of fending off the creature he had no fight left. The darkness blanketed the entire room. Pain dug into his chest, and he writhed in pain. 

He felt cold hands grip onto his cheeks. Squinting through the pain, he saw the mirrored image of the demon leering down at him.

“Dear host. Do you remember the last time that we traveled to Egypt oh so long ago,” he smirked. Ryou could only blink in response as the creature seeped into his skin. His arms and legs went cold as it chuckled. “Guess what? I’ll do you a favor. You _won’t_ remember this time either!”

“Spirit! Don’t-please!”

His doppleganger brushed the bangs from his face in a gentle motion before pushing its way into his being. “ **It’s okay host. You don’t have to struggle any longer. You don’t need anyone else.”**

**~*~*~*~**

Exinious: _Ryou. We're back now. I'm sorry that we couldn't bring you with us._

_Can we talk tomorrow at school? I want to make sure you're okay._

_..._

_..._

_..._

Exinious: _I don't know if you'll be able to see this with that spirit around, but I'm going to save you. Please hold on. I'm not giving up on you._

_..._

_I'm sorry._

_I'm so sorry._

...

...

...

**~*~*~*~**

The boat rocked along the river lazily. Atem sighed as he looked out across the surface. It was still early in the night, yet it felt like it was going by too soon. After everything that happened, it all seemed so fantastical that it was coming to a close. Yet, he had so much unfinished business. 

“What’s wrong pharaoh?” Yugi asked, looking over at his spirit form, “Oh. I mean. Atem.”

Atem chuckled, not used to his name yet, “Nothing. Just thinking about tomorrow.”

“Y-Yeah,” Yugi said, a sullen look in his eyes. Atem could feel how their feelings both clashed and intertwined on what the next day would bring. But if there was one thing that Yugi hadn’t known, was how guilty Atem felt this whole time. 

It never weighed heavy on his heart until now, when he could finally think about everything that they had gone through and how much he wanted to change. At the very least, he could make things right with everyone. Especially...

Atem took a breath. “Yugi. Would you-”

“It’s ok. You can say your goodbyes to everyone before we make our decks,” Yugi said before going back into the puzzle. Atem could already tell Yugi was thinking about how they would face each other. He held the puzzle briefly, knowing that his goodbye would be the longest...

Atem turned and went straight down the stairs. He wanted to say goodbye to all of them. But there was one person he needed to apologize to for everything. 

… He should’ve realized something was wrong sooner. He should’ve known that Ryou didn’t really mean to reject him. But it wasn’t like any of them knew that Zorc would be strong enough to get out of the items long enough to possess Ryou again.

Peeking into the dining area, he saw Ryou there with what was probably one of everything in the fridge. At least this trip wouldn’t be longer than a few hours. In the middle of taking a bite of whipped cream and chocolate, Ryou noticed him standing in the doorway.

“Oh! Pharaoh!” he said with a smile, “Were you wanting some? I didn’t realize how hungry I was until. Well. You know.”

He shrugged lightly before taking a bite of roast beef that was soaked in gravy. He hummed in delight, pretty much forgetting the pharaoh was there. Atem cleared his throat.

“Er. No. not right now,” he said, then grew serious, “Listen. Ryou.”

Ryou paused. He raised a brow at the other with a rather offended look. Atem shook the nerves away at the stare, “I… I have something to admit.”

Ryou took a bite, eyes watching him with suspicion that unnerved Atem. He started to fidget with the puzzle in one hand.

“I just… I wanted to say… I’m sorry.”

He kept his eyes on the floor, unable to really look Ryou in the eye. He swallowed a bit, trying to find more to say. After all, if he had just decided from the start not to try and find his memories on his own, maybe he would’ve been more insistent of letting Ryou tag along. At least then Zorc wouldn’t have taken over again. Atem’s free hand clenched into a fist before relaxing.

“It’s ‘kay pharaoh,” Ryou said between bites. Atem looked up. The other teen was busy scooping up more noodles with a merry smile, “The spirit was probably planning this from the start. I could never tell.”

Atem smiled. He took a step closer, seeing the empty chair nearby. He tapped his foot briefly, deciding against sitting. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off in Ryou’s tone. It was too… Distant.

“Still,” Atem continued, “I wish that… I wish I had said something earlier before when we had…”

Ryou turned to him with a raised brow. He swallowed, a frown on his lips.

“... Earlier? You mean at school?”

Atem blinked. Ryou was stirring at a milkshake with a hum before slurping at it. The teen gave a little content sigh.

“I mean. It’s not like the spirit was gonna possess me in the middle of class. But that’d be amusing to see.”

“... School?” Atem asked hesitantly, the uneasy feeling creeping up more.

“Yeah. You know. School,” Ryou said shrugging his shoulders, “That’s the last time I remembered seeing Yugi and his friends. Something about a math test I think. There always seem to be blanks in my memory when the spirit takes over, but I’m sure it’s nothing too serious.”

“... Um. Could I ask you something?” Atem asked slowly. Ryou shrugged his shoulders again, hardly paying attention anymore. Atem swallowed the lump forming in his throat, “Do you… Do you remember anything about an alleyway?”

“Not really.”

“How about… A game.”

“A game?”

“Yeah. A uh… An online game,” Atem said, watching Ryou’s reactions like a hawk. Ryou tapped the side of his face in thought.

“... Are you talking about the time you all got sucked into that video game during the tournament? Not really sure what that has to do with anything,” he said, “... You sure seem to be asking weird questions pharaoh. Or did you want something to eat?”

"Er. No. But just one more question," Atem said. He licked his lips, "Does. Does the name 'Exinious' mean anything to you?"

Ryou tilted his head back and forth as he chewed, eventually shaking it, "Not really. Is that a duel monster or something?"

Atem stared at the other, an empty pit sank into his chest. His hands grew numb. Ryou continued to merrily eat away. Atem’s lips drew into a frown.

“...I hope you have a good rest of your night. Bakura.”

Atem wandered back up the stairs, Ryou giving a small noise between bites. As soon as he was in the hall Atem slouched down the wall. Dread filled his chest.

_“When we’re out. Are things going to be different?”_

His fist banged against the floor. The boat continued to rock lazily along.

_“Just wait. I think once I get my memories back things won’t be so…”_

He drew his legs closer. Even though he felt rage and regret bubbling up into his chest, Yugi’s body refused to react. He felt his head spin. 

“... It’s not fair.”

Whether it was because of the spirit, Zorc, or the gods, the pharaoh cursed them all. He started to chuckle bitterly, leaning his head back against the wall.

“It was on purpose,” he mumbled. It made sense that _this_ was how he would have to leave, even if he didn’t want it to be. Yugi was already struggling with the idea of having to face him tomorrow for the last time. If Atem had any regrets, there was no way he’d be able to fight to his fullest either. At least now...

“ _Goodbye pharaoh.”_

Atem got up, his legs shaking. His eyes itched though nothing came out. The hollow feeling left him, but the ache in his chest refused to cease. Instead of going to see everyone else, he went to the cabin he and Yugi shared. His eyes went over to the cards. 

Slowly, almost automatically, he started to piece together what he would use to face Yugi. Every so often he’d stop, thinking about the last few times he and Ryou had spoken. The Ryou he had come to know that was now wiped away because of Zorc. Because of _his_ destiny...

When the last card was placed upon the top of the deck, Atem hadn’t realized that his eyes had finally started to get foggy with tears.


	10. Chapter 10

Ryou sighed as the desert sands rolled along outside the window in the distance. The taxi hummed as his eyes glazed over at the thought of faint memories. Only in Egypt did he feel that weird nostalgia.

Chances are, they all did after the final duel years ago and the items were set to rest. At least until Kaiba had something to say about it.

Ryou sighed again as he leaned back in his seat. A part of him didn’t want to come back to Egypt for his work trip. But coming here did make it easier to accept everything that happened. Including everything he had finally remembered.

He rubbed the back of his hand unconsciously. His leg started to twitch a bit, so he took out his phone and tapped away at one of the games. Being here made him realize many things. But he didn’t want to dwell on the fact that he never got a proper send off to many people tied to this place. 

His thumb lingered over one of the buttons as the loading screen grabbed onto the local server. His lips grew tight. 

“ _Do you… Remember an online game?”_

Ryou looked back to the window again to the setting sun. He cursed inwardly, forever knowing that the pharaoh was actually _trying_ to say something to him that night. Wanting to bring up their attempt at normalcy. But in the end did it really matter? After all, the very next day the pharaoh-Atem left them all. What did it matter if he…

At the thought, Ryou shook his head a little. It was just infatuation. Longing. The truth of the matter was, it _didn’t_ matter. 

Still, Ryou couldn’t lie to himself that a part of him did miss the pharaoh. Even before his memories came back, something always stirred in the back of his heart. Trying to be remembered…

His phone vibrated. Ryou looked down and saw that he was logged in. Funny enough, the little rpg he played ended up getting picked up by KaibaCorp to be expanded (rumor was that it was actually coded by Mokuba, who neither confirmed nor denied it).

He saw his little character pop up, no longer pixelated but a decently rendered chibi. At the very least he was glad that the move to a mobile game didn’t make it any less fun. His character wandered over the screen towards a little plaza of characters. A few had started to form groups for more raids and missions.

The taxi jerked as it came to a stop light. Ryou looked up. The hotel wasn’t that far, so maybe just looking around the server would be-

Ryou blinked. While most of the characters had been moving around the screen, he noticed that one character had stopped the second he logged on. But what made his breath catch was the name.

Exinious_0902

The faintest of memories flashed in his mind. It couldn’t be…

He tapped at the private chat and paused. His thumbs hovered over the keyboard. No. It had to be a coincidence. There was no way that was…

His eyes lingered on the numbers. 0902. Why was that familiar-

Ryou stifled a gasp. His heart started to race more, his hands getting sweaty. He sent a request to chat. A second later it was approved. He took a slow breath. There was only one way to find out for sure.

_“Pharaoh? Atem, is that you?”_

He stared at the screen. His hands were shaking. He inhaled when the speech bubble popped up for the chat. The seconds ticked by, seeming all the longer as the bubble appeared and disappeared. He swallowed hard when it stopped.

Ryou’s eyes widened at the two word response. His hand dug at his chest, choking back whatever noise threatened to come out. He ignored the urge to wipe at his face, his vision blurring, and instead typed a response even faster.

_“Where are you? I’m in Cairo.”_

His heartbeat was making his ears throb. The answer he got made him jerk in his seat. He pulled up his map and saw the location. 

“Hey!” he accidentally shouted to his driver, who jumped in his seat. Ryou held up his phone, “Take me here! Take me to this place!”

The driver raised a brow, but followed nonetheless. The outside flew by even faster. Ryou’s leg bounced up and down anxiously as he stared outside. Finally, he saw the edge of the Nile river. As soon as they stopped he threw a handful of bills to the taxi driver and jumped out of the door. 

He ran along the streets and onto the river bank. His eyes darted back and forth.

It could’ve just been a fake profile. That would’ve been the logical thought. Ryou knew better. He already knew in his heart that _this_ wasn’t fake.

He stopped when he saw a figure standing there looking out across the calm water surface. A familiar face turned towards him, eyes cautious for a brief second before being replaced by a warmth that made Ryou’s chest ache.

“... Hi. Ryou.”

Ryou felt the phone slip from his hand at hearing the other’s voice. The way it was spoken had such tenderness and care. He had almost forgotten the first time the pharaoh uttered it the same way years ago.

His legs felt weak, but stumbled forward anyway. Ryou ran, jumping into the awaiting embrace as relief sank into his being. They both clung to each other as if the world would dissolve away if they dared to let go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go. Now the rare pair fic is complete (I’m not done with this pairing though so much potential).
> 
> FYI the number 0902 is obviously alluding to Ryou’s birthday heuheuehhehehhe


End file.
